


Black Gold and Black Hearts

by Superguy559



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Multi, SYOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2020-06-30 04:41:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 89,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19845799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Superguy559/pseuds/Superguy559
Summary: Eighteen Ultimates are selected to participate in a killing game that feels like bootcamp from hell. Trapped on an oil rig in the middle of the North Sea, will they be able to overcome the trials ahead of them and escape, or will despair succeed in recruiting a new army in a renewed war on the world? (Spin-off of Crit Fail's Legacy of Despair series.)





	1. Prologue

The North Sea is a cold and harsh place to be. With chilling Scandinavian winds and rough tides, it's enough to make anyone question taming it. However there is one thing that the seas held that made man brave the waters to take it. Oil, the black gold of the modern world.

And so vast platforms were built to drill for the oil. Large constructs of metal that would hold humans like hives as they ate, worked and slept in their quest for the fuel.

However for one platform that purpose has long been forgotten. Here at the Skyford Oil Rig the drills may now be silent, but the screams that will soon fill the air will readily replace it.

Like the rest of the world despair has found another way to spread its message. Like Hora Island the poor souls that will soon be tested are now locked at sea. However this time they will not even have the comfort of soil to bury their dead, only the cold hard metal floors and walls that they will both soon call their home and their prison.

You and 17 others have been chosen, seemingly at random, to participate in a killing game that seems to be laid out like a military training regime. But what do your captors want, what are they training you for and what are they planning on doing with the Nuclear Missiles that they now possess?

What will you do in this game of Black Gold and Black Hearts?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hello everyone and welcome to my SYOC Danganronpa fanfic. This is my first serious attempt at a story beyond a one shot and I am very excited to get this up and started.

As you may have guessed from reading the prologue, this is a spinoff of Crit Fail's Legacy of Despair series. I was the co-writer to his fanfic Railway of Despair and after that practice I feel that I now have what it takes to write a story solo.

When it comes to submitting OCs to this story I am trying to be very open to ideas. As such I have no written limits on age, gender, school of origin or even species (as that is now an option after the events of House of Horrors).

I do have one restriction: No OCs that are direct references to modern pop culture. So that means for example OCs like a Pokémon trainer or Yu-Gi-Oh player are not allowed in the story. However if you come up with a very good idea and can make them brand neutral, then message me and I'll see if it is appropriate.

For the time being I have not decided on a deadline or any limit as to how many OCs can be accepted into the story by each submitter, however this is subject to change as I do not want any one person dominating the story with their characters. You are free to submit any number of OCs to me as you like however and if you are not accepted, I may have a place for them in a future fic.

Update: Public submissions for this story have now closed.

* * *

**Disclaimer:**

This story will contain very dark themes and the characters may go through anything from murder, to rape, to torture to any other manner of things. This is a killing game and I will not shy away from graphic imagery when the story calls for it, so be prepared for that when you submit an OC. No one is going to get out of this game unharmed.

* * *

**Accepted OCs:**

1\. Elizabeth Grey: The Ultimate Businesswoman (Created by Superguy559)

2\. Cecelia Perry: The Ultimate Naval Commander (Created by NSPunny)

3\. Joan Blanc: the Ultimate Nun (Created by StoryProducer214)

4\. Dr Richards: The Ultimate SCP Researcher (Created by doomqwer)

5\. Nolan Levesque: The Ultimate Ice Sculptor (Created by JCW18)

6\. Tala Actaeonis: The Ace Artisan (Created by Crit Fail)

7\. Wolfgang Amadeus Von Schwarz: The Ace Saxophonist (Created by The Celestial Sky Dragon)

8\. Roman Callum Pearce: The Ultimate Treasure Hunter (Created by Prince PokePersona)

9\. Henriette Antoine: The Elite Flutist (Created by bellatrixshine)

10\. Cardinal-Major Pietro Lombardi: The Professional Inquisitor (Created by Magus1108)

11\. Janna Diaseva: The Ultimate Gemologist (Created by Prince PokePersona)

12\. Kiyoshi Kaneda: The Ultimate Voice Actor (Created by MasterParafin)

13\. Yijun Xiong: The Super Duper High School Level Shaolin Warrior (Created by 1Glimmershine)

14\. Erick James Matthews: The Premier Engineer (Created by Abitat Eco)

15\. Anastasia Katrina Klevorick: The Ultimate Mercenary (Created by BloodyDemon666)

16\. Katsumi Ryoma: The Ultimate Fisherman (Created by Trygve11)

17\. Tyler Wick: The Ace Battle Royale Player (Created by Sparten2121)

18\. Latia 'Lala' Cappuchi: The Ultimate Innovative Coffee Maker (Created by life among the dead)

* * *

**Submitted OCs:**

1\. Cecelia Perry: The Ultimate Naval Commander (Created by NSPunny)

2\. Arthur Rockbell: The Ace Prosthetist (Created by ShinyOshawottKing1)

3\. Futaba Gracie Wilson: The Ultimate Manga Author (Created by gamergirl101)

4\. Janna Diaseva: The Ultimate Gemologist (Created by Prince PokePersona)

5\. Roman Callum Pearce: The Ultimate Treasure Hunter (Created by Prince PokePersona)

6\. Sophia Vespucci: The Ultimate Perfumer (Created by dashunterman)

7\. Dr Richards: The Ultimate SCP Researcher (Created by doomqwer)

8\. Anastasia Katrina Klevorick: The Ultimate Mercenary (Created by BloodyDemon666)

9\. Nolan Levesque: The Ultimate Ice Sculptor (Created by JCW18)

10\. Henriette Antoine: The Elite Flutist (Created by bellatrixshine)

11\. Katsumi Ryoma: The Ultimate Fisherman (Created by Trygve11)

12\. Joan Blanc: The Ultimate Nun (Created by StoryProducer214)

13\. Ryoko Lee: The Ultimate Track/Field Star (Created by Trygve11)

14\. Fin Kash: The Ultimate Horseman (Created by Duublem)

15\. Tyler Wick: The Ace Battle Royale Player (Created by Sparten2121)

16\. Kacper Morgan: The Ultimate Knife Meister (Created by 71526483)

17\. Bruno Almeda: The Ultimate Nomad (Created by scarytito21)

18\. Tala Actaeonis: The Ace Artisan (Created by Crit Fail)

19\. Isaiah Malachi Chambers: The Ultimate Boxer (Created by Mikq)

20\. Anton Horvac: The Super Inmate Level Sociologist (Created by runicwolf)

21\. Parker Èbueno: The Ultimate Bridesmaid (Created by VEPPR-U)

22\. Otis Robertson: The Ultimate Police Officer (Created by RioA)

23\. Wolfgang Amadeus Von Schwarz: The Ace Saxophonist (Created by The Celestial Sky Dragon)

24\. Parth Chandra: The Ultimate Statistician (Created by scarytito21)

25\. Latia 'Lala' Cappuchi: The Ultimate Innovative Coffee Maker (Created by life among the dead)

26\. Phthia Raptis: The Ultimate Trapeze Artist (Created by Quartzz)

27\. Ferka "Dinu" Eftimie: The Ultimate Currently Super Inmate level Courier (Created by runicwolf)

28\. Douglas Kyle: The Ace Marksman (Created by Sims Fan214)

29\. Kiyoshi Kaneda: The Ultimate Voice Actor (Created by MasterParafin)

30\. Suzuki Rokodou: The Ultimate CSI (Created by Trygve11)

31\. Cardinal-Major Pietro Lombardi: The Professional Inquisitor (Created by Magus1108)

32\. Kaneki Kuwabara: The Ace Demon Hunter (Created by Alter Ego AV)

33\. Takashi Kritanta: The Elite Tactician (Created by pokemansuperallstar)

34\. Itsuka Hiraku: The Spectacular Vigilantie (Created by pokemansuperallstar)

35\. Yijun Xiong: The Super Duper High School Level Shaolin Warrior (Created by 1Glimmershine)

36\. Erick Cassius Marshall: The Premier Engineer (Created by Abitat Eco)

* * *

****Accepted OCs Details:** **

**1\. Elizabeth Grey: Ultimate Businesswoman (Created by Superguy559)**

Full Name: Elizabeth Grey

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Birthday: December 11

Nationality: British (English)

Talent: Ultimate Businesswoman

Blood Type: A

Hair Color: Blond

Hair Style/Length: Long that flows to her mid back.

Eye Color: Purple

Skin Tone: Pale

Body Type: A voluptuous hourglass figure with a large bust and wide shapely hips. She is also surprisingly muscular with toned legs, arms and stomach.

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: An old scar on her stomach.

Height: 6'3

Weight: 150lbs

Normal Clothing: She wears a dark blue suit jacket with matching trousers, under which she has a light blue shirt with the top buttons undone to show her generous cleavage. She also wears a blue fedora and flat black shoes.

Exercise Clothing: White tank top with sports bra, along with black shorts and trainers.

Sleepwear: Nude or bra and panties.

Accessories: A Rolex watch on her left arm and a black scheduling book, along with a few pens in her breast pocket.

**2\. Cecelia Perry: The Ultimate Naval Commander (Created by NSPunny)**

Gender: Female

Age: 17 years

Birthday: March 9

Nationality: Novoselic

Talent: Ultimate Naval Commander

Blood Type: B-

Hair Color: Dirty Blonde (appears brownish to the naked eye)

Hair Style/Length: Inch above the shoulder long hair that looks almost perfectly straight down.

Eye Color: Aquamarine

Skin Tone: Tan, but of a darker shade (the same color as a shortbread)

Body Type: Lean and muscular with mild but noticeable muscles throughout her body. In addition, she has a bust size that is between a b cup and a c cup.

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: Older scars litter her body, especially concentrated towards her stomach and back.

Height: 5 feet, 11 inches

Weight: 120 lbs

Normal Clothing: At the top of her head she wears a white hat with a brown steering wheel design on it. Her top is covered by a white, single breasted suit coat (with six golden buttons) with a white, collared dress shirt underneath and a black tie. On her coat are multiple gold medals awarded to her by Sonia herself. She wears white suit trousers underneath as well and black dress shoes.

Exercise Clothing: She wears a light gray t-shirt for her top and loose dark blue jeans for her bottoms. She wears brown socks and new looking black shoes.

Sleepwear: She wears a light blue nightgown with cartoon-looking ships (including pirate ships, war ships, and simple commercial cruise liners on it). If someone sees her with this on, she will be embarrassed and any attempts to tell someone of her nightgown will be vehemently denied.

Accessories: She wears medals on the left side of her coat and almost always has her white hat on. She carries a visibly holstered hand gun by her right hip (she is left handed).

**3\. Joan Blanc: the Ultimate Nun (Created by StoryProducer214) **

Gender: Female

Age: 18

Birthday: December 25th

Nationality: French

Talent: Ultimate Nun

Blood Type: AB-

Hair Color: Silvery White

Hair Style/Length: Long hair that reaches mid-back.

Eye Color: Blood Red

Skin Tone: Extremely Pale, being as white as snow

Body Type: A very curvy hourglass build, with double D-cup breasts and wide hips

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: Permanent bruises on her back and couple of them on her legs.

Height: 5'4 ft

Weight: 117 lbs

Normal Clothing: She wears a black tunic that reaches her thighs over a collared undershirt of the same color, a small black corset around her waist, a large white cloth that covers the lower part of her tunic and another one tied around it, and white Mary Jane shoes with black thigh-high stockings. She also wears a black and white veil over her head.

Exercise Clothing: She rarely exercises, but prefers to wear a comfortable black tracksuit, with white sneakers.

Sleepwear: None, she sleeps in the nude.

Accessories: She wears a silver cross necklace, which is underneath her clothing.

**4\. Dr Richards: The Ultimate SCP Researcher (Created by doomqwer)**

Gender: Male

Age: 32

Birthday: April 12

Nationality: American

Talent: Ultimate SCP Researcher

Blood Type: AB

Body Type: Thin and lanky but surprisingly strong

Hair Color Brown

Hair Style/Length: Short and choppy

Eye Color: Brown

Skin Tone: White

Body Type: Skinny but with a runner's body

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: A scar under his ribs

Height: 6'1

Weight: 200

Normal Clothing: Black under shirt lab coat khakis

Exercise Clothing: any old shirt and sweat pants

Sleepwear: Anything he can find

Accessories: Magnifying glass and SCP 1188

**5\. Nolan Levesque: The Ultimate Ice Sculptor (Created by JCW18)**

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Birthday: July 21st

Nationality: French-Canadian

Talent: Ultimate Ice Sculptor

Blood Type: O Positive

Hair Color: Light, dusty brown

Hair Style/Length: Spiky, messy, and unkempt, average length that comes down to his neck.

Eye Color: Azure blue

Skin Tone: Pale White

Body Type: Extremely fit and muscular, and excellent shape and physique.

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks:

Height: 5 Feet, 8 Inches

Weight: 153 Pounds

Normal Clothing: A dress shirt and blue tie, with a black and white blazer with black dress pants and a gold belt. Wears a light gray overcoat, however, it flows behind him almost like a cape. Also has black and white boots, white gloves, and a black and white billed dress hat.

Exercise Clothing: Does not really wear clothes for such a thing.

Sleepwear: Expensive sky blue silk pyjamas.

Accessories: A small ice pick in the right hand pocket of his blazer, and a golden locket he keeps tucked around his chest under his shirt.

**6\. Tala Actaeonis: The Ace Artisan (Created by Crit Fail)**

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Birthday: September 24th

Nationality: Native American

Talent: Ace Artisan

Blood Type: A

Hair Color: Raven

Hair Style/Length: Long and straight glossy hair that reaches her lower back.

Eye Color: Light pink with a barely visible pupil

Skin Tone: Light brown

Body Type: Curvaceous and yet athletic with a generous Double D Bust, with long shapely legs, ample heart shaped bottom and delicate yet calloused fingers.

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: She has a series of red triangular shaped marks on her cheeks. It's actually body paint that she applies daily.

Height: 5'10

Weight: 150 Lbs

Normal Clothing: Tala wears a white frilly shirt that hangs off her shoulders, offering a generous glimpse of her cleavage. Over her frilly shirt she sports a back overalls that doubles as a dress that have a series of small tools sticking out them. She wears a pair of hide boots with colorful beads strewn throughout the laces. On top of her head is a black cap with a white feather sticking out of it.

Exercise Clothing: Tala typically wears a stark minimum when exercising. Mostly just a pink half tank top that stops right above her navel and a pair of matching booty shorts. She's not at all shy about her body and prefers to be comfortable when working out.

Sleepwear: Nothing. She doesn't have the same stigma with nudity that some people have. She's even prone to sometimes showing up in a state of undress because it feels so comfortable to her.

Accessories: She wears a pair of bone earrings that are in the shape of a crescent moon and a wolf necklace that seems to be made out of some sort of black metal.

**7\. Wolfgang Amadeus Von Schwarz: The Ace Saxophonist (Created by The Celestial Sky Dragon)**

Gender: Male

Age: 21

Date of Birth: January 27

Home country: Germany

Talent: Ace Saxophonist

Blood Type: Slim

Appearance: Wolfgang is a slim young man, with fair colored skin. He has black hair, reaching down to his shoulders. He has brilliant blue eyes, a soft nose and mouth. He has a slim body, with some defined muscle tone, and pectorals to boot. He is a very handsome young man, in fact, he has been called "Pretty Boy" on countless occasions, by many men and women from around the world.

Hair color/style: Straight black hair reaching down to his shoulders.

Eye Color: Bright blue

Skin Tone: Fair

Body Type: Slim, defined pectorals and abs

Birthmarks, scars or tattoos: N/A

Height: 5 feet 11 inches

Weight: 155 LBS

Outfits: Wolfgang has two outfits, his normal outfit and his more formal attire

# 1: Wolfgang's outfit consists of a long sleeved, white button down shirt, with a breast pocket, bearing the crest of [Insert Institution Here]. He leaves it untucked, his sleeves rolled up to the elbow. Pinned to his collar is a pin of the German Flag. He wears a pair of slim fit black jeans, held to his waist by a black leather belt, with a saxophone shaped buckle. He wears a pair of black leather boots that reach up to his knees, and has three silver buckles on either side, along with a silver zipper.

His formal outfit consists of a black silk suit, firmly pressed, with a matching blue neck tie. He has a pin on his lapel (The same one as his normal outfit) as well as crimson rose sticking out of his pocket. He wears a pair of white gloves on his hand, emblazoned with [Insert Institution Here] on the back. He wears a matching pair of slacks, along with formal leather shoes. He also wears a leather belt around his waist, this time lacking the buckle.

Jewelry: German Flag pin as well as a Saxophone shaped belt buckle.

**8\. Roman Callum Pearce: The Ultimate Treasure Hunter (Created by Prince PokePersona)**

Gender: Male

Age: 18 years old

Birthday: February 8th

Nationality: British

Talent: Treasure Hunter

Blood Type: AB+

Hair Color: Dark Brown

Hair Style/Length: Medium length messy layered styled hair with a few curled strands framing the sides of his face with unkempt bangs & black stubble on his face that also covers some of his cheeks.

Eye Color: Golden Yellow

Skin Tone: Light Tan

Body Type: A lean but athletic physique with toned muscles and abs.

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: Some calluses on the palms of his hands, a few small scars on his arms, a small scar over his left eyebrow and a small gun mark scar on his right shoulder.

Height: 5ft. 10inc. tall

Weight: 130lbs.

Normal Clothing: He wears a light brown long sleeved dirty shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a picture of a fake beige pirate's map printed on the front of his shirt with the words 'Adventure doesn't find you, you find it first!" in swirly black letters, beige long cargo pants with tons of pockets, a dark red sleeveless hoodie left unzipped with dark yellow strings and hood and dark brown steel toe hiking boots laced up tight.

Exercise Clothing: A muscle dark black tank top with his cargo pants and a pair of brown and white custom sneakers with black socks on his feet with the necklace around his neck.

Sleepwear: A dirty red t-shirt with the words "Adventure Is Out There" written in bold black and white letters, a pair of black shorts with pockets and fuzzy black slippers with gemstones on the front.

Accessories: A dark brown utility belt around his waist with a golden skull buckle on the front, a bright red and white knapsack on his back filled with some jewelry, tools, maps and extra pairs of clothing on his back, a hunting knife, small hand radio and a brown coin pouch all hanging from his utility belt, a dark brown safari hat resting behind his back, a black string necklace with a silver coin pendant around his neck, two identical red and black beaded bracelets on both of his wrists, two gold rings on his left hand, a ruby ring on his left ring finger and a sapphire ring on his index finger and two more gold rings on his right hand, an opal ring on his right ring finger and an amethyst ring on his index finger.

**9\. Henriette Antoine: The Elite Flutist (Created by bellatrixshine)**

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Birthday: August 21

Nationality: French

Talent: Ultimate Flutist

Blood Type: O-

Hair Color: Strawberry blonde

Hair Style/Length: Henriette has straight hair that goes to her mid-back and windswept bangs.

Eye Color: Green

Skin Tone: Pale as the dickens

Body Type: Despite being very small, Henriette has grown in one very important place. She has a D cup chest. She's very thin despite that and doesn't have much curvature aside from that.

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: None available

Height: 5'0

Weight: 113 lbs

Normal Clothing: Henriette often wears a white-button blouse that she has buttoned all the way up, a lilac skirt that reaches her ankles and her blouse is tucked in to, a pastel blue cardigan that she has layered over the button-down, and black ballet flats.

Exercise Clothing: A pastel blue track suit and white sneakers

Sleepwear: A lilac nightgown that goes above her knees

Accessories: Henriette wears a heart shaped necklace made of rose quartz. She always carries her flute case around with her.

**10\. Cardinal-Major Pietro Lombardi: The Professional Inquisitor (Created by Magus1108)**

Gender: Male

Age: 22

Birthday: June 23rd

Nationality: Italian

Talent: Professional Inquisitor

Blood Type: AB+

Hair Color: Raven Black

Hair Style/Length: Pietro's hair reaches down to the nape of his neck, where he lets it hang without styling it in a particular manner. Not that there's much hair to stylize admittedly.

Eye Color: Crimson (formerly brown, but changed colors upon receiving his powers)

Skin Tone: A healthy olive skin tone common to those in Italy, and the Mediterranean region in general.

Body Type: While Pietro was once skinny and thin, he has since filled out, becoming well-muscled and strong. He doesn't have a bodybuilder's frame, but he isn't a whisp of a man anymore either. Pietro has a moderate amount of musculature to his frame from his years of exercise and combat experience. Overall, he has the build of a veteran soldier.

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: An ugly facial scar that runs across his face, from the right side of his forehead all the way down to the left side of his jaw. Pietro also has light scar tissue surrounding the stump of his left arm, which was blown off in his original Killing Game. He has since replaced it with a top-of-the-line bionic arm. Pietro also has a stylized tattoo of a Christian cross on his chest: a reminder of his devotion and service to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.

Height: 6'2

Weight: 202 (most of his extra weight comes not from fat but muscle)

Normal Clothing: Pietro wears his knightly uniform most of the time, which largely looks like the priestly robes of a Cardinal, but changed in some regards for a more militarized look. He wears a red cap over his head, a long billowing red cloak, and under that wears a red robe that reaches down to his feet. On the collar of his robe is a military insignia displaying his rank, and beneath his robes he wears a vest of Kevlar armor. Finally, Pietro wears a pair of black shoes to complete his outfit.

Sleepwear: Pietro keeps it simple for bed: he strips down to a pair of boxer-briefs, and that's it. He's content to just wear his underwear to bed.

Accessories: Pietro had his destroyed left arm replaced with a bionic arm, and he carries several different attachments that have been fitted to replace the 'hand' of his artificial arm. Besides the regular bionic hand there is a gun-hand attachment, a bayonet attachment, and a taser attachment. Besides that Pietro also wears a golden cross necklace, a rosary bead set, and has a pack of cigarettes, a pack of fine Cuban cigars, cooking supplies, and of course a copy of the Holy Bible. Pietro also has a pistol holstered on his right side that he can use in a firefight if necessary.

** 11\. Janna Diaseva: The Ultimate Gemologist (Created by Prince PokePersona) **

Gender: Female

Age: 17 years old

Birthday: July 11th

Nationality: Kazakhstan

Talent: Gemologist

Blood Type: O+

Hair Color: Silvery Blonde with pastel color gem root streaks in her hair that range from magenta, green, pink and light blue.

Hair Style/Length: Long, wavy and curly hair that ends at her waistline

Eye Color: Teal

Skin Tone: Fair White

Body Type: A skinny but svelte physique with slight curves and an A cup chest.

Makeup: Black cat eyeliner with black mascara and faint pink and yellow glitter eyeshadow over her eyelids, pale pink gloss on her lips and trimmed fingernails painted dark pink with white gems on each nail

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: A small diamond shaped birthmark on her left ankle

Height: 5ft. 6inc. tall

Weight: 107 lbs.

Normal Clothing: She wears a hot pink sundress with bright blue flowers and black swirls patterned all over the dress with the skirt section ending above her knees, a black ribbon sash around her waist with a bright blue bow on the back with a sparkly diamond brooch pinned in the centre of the bow, a cropped dark blue long sleeved cardigan over the dress, black cone heels with pink ribbon bows on the ankle straps and glitter yellow stockings that end at her thighs.

Exercise Clothing: She wears a dark yellow gym sports with black gemstones around the hemline, dark blue yoga pants with dark pink and black striped running shoes and white ankle socks on her feet and she ties her hair into a side braided ponytail.

Sleepwear: She wears a long sleeved black baby doll dress with a dark pink flowers and gold gems patterned all over the design with a blue lace veil like glitter top over it.

Accessories: She wears a diamond necklace with a bright red heart shaped gem surrounded by diamonds around her neck, a silver gem bracelet around her right wrist with multi colored gems on the bracelet, a rose gold diamond encrusted watch on her left wrist and a gold rainbow moonstone hair comb fashioned into the right side of her head and a silver one fashioned in the left side of her head.

** 12\. Kiyoshi Kaneda: The Ultimate Voice Actor (Created by MasterParafin) **

Gender: Male

Age: 16

Birthday: December 15

Nationality: Japanese

Talent: Ultimate Voice Actor

Blood Type: O+

Hair Colour: Turquoise (dyed)

Hair Style/Length: Short, only going down to the top of his neck. Naturally messy, but he keeps it as tidy as he can. Has a spiky patch that goes down the left of his face, stopping near his left eye which it very partially covers.

Eye Colour: Amber

Skin Tone: Slightly tanned

Body Type: Basically just the average for his age. He's not tall or muscular but he isn't scrawny either. He was infected by the monster formula and transformed into a Harpy; as such, his arms, legs, hands, and feet have become coated by light blue feathers, and he has claws for fingers and toes. However, he has adapted very well, and can walk and handle things almost exactly as normal. He also has turquoise feathery wings on his back.

Scars, Tattoos, Birthmarks: Has a patch of freckles above his nose.

Height: 5'7

Weight: 135 lbs

Normal Clothing: He wears a dark red shirt, which is complimented by a light red jacket. He also wears denim jeans, and red shoes with white tips (same as Naegi),

Exercise Clothing: He's okay just keeping on whatever he's wearing now.

Sleepwear: His feathers keep him warm at night, so he only wears a short sleeved pyjama shirt, and his underwear (It's, err, complicated)

Accessories: N/A.

** 13\. Yijun Xiong: The Super Duper High School Level Shaolin Warrior (Created by 1Glimmershine) **

Gender: Male

Age: 22

Birthday: 11/23

Nationality: Chinese

Talent: Shaolin Warrior (Super Duper High School)

Blood Type: A+

Species: Crow Tengu

General description: He prefers to be in the more birdlike tengu form rather than the red-skinned humanoid form, mainly because as he puts it, doesn't want a bright red phallus strapped to his face a.k.a the nose. Anyways, he basically just looks like a bird with a more humanoid form to it. He's got black and dark blue feathers, and his wings are on his back as opposed to his arms. Of course, he also has the beak, talons, etc. like all avian creatures have.

Hair Color: N/A

Hair Style/Length: No hair at all, just feathers.

Eye Color: Yellow scleras, with pure black pupils.

Skin Tone: like a pale-pinkish color.

Body Type: Lean with very defined muscles.

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: None.

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 211 lbs.

Normal Clothing: He wears a pure white silk robe that has an intricate and regal golden pattern stitched on and around it. He keeps the robe off his right shoulder, leaving the upper right side of his body open to the air. Furthermore, he has on pure white silk harem pants, that only reach down to his knees, and they also have a similar golden pattern to the robes. He also wears a dark blue cowl around his neck.

Exercise Clothing: He just uses his normal outfit.

Sleepwear: Doesn't wear anything, since what needs to be hidden is already naturally hidden.

Accessories: Has large, pearl white prayer beads around his neck. Also, he wears a necklace that has three stones with the Chinese symbols for honor, courage, and strength (from left to right) engraved on them.

** 14\. Erick James Matthews: The Premier Engineer (Created by Abitat Eco) **

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Birthday: 13th May

Nationality: British

Talent: Premier Engineer

Blood Type: O-

Hair Color: Erick's hair is a light chestnut brown in shade, with a few streaks of darker brown scattered throughout the longer strands of his hair.

Hair Style/Length: Regarding the style, Erick's strands are quite thick and wavy with pointed ends, hanging just past the level of his chin and mid-neck, sticking outwards in various flowing strands, the ends mostly tucked behind his left ear. Two shorter sections hang symmetrically against the sides of his face, just in front of his ears. A single separate strand sticks up from the right side of his head, deviating upwards in a slightly messy fashion. As for his fringe, it is long and diagonally cut with a pointed curved end, hanging just slightly left to the bridge of his nose and stopping at his lower eyelid. From its angle, the end of it does have the annoying habit to hang in front of his eye, which will result in him often blowing it out of the way, or shaking his head in irritation with a small scowl.

Eye Color: Erick's irises are coloured a light turquoise in shade, his overall eye shape being almond shaped and slightly narrowed in what seems to resemble a superior expression, with naturally long eyelashes, which can unfortunately lead to others mistaking him for the opposite gender. Above this are his arched eyebrows, which are thin and an identical shade to his hair, often turned downwards in a judging frown of appraisal.

Skin Tone: Overall, his complexion is rather fair, meaning that he is quite susceptible to burning in the sun, due to lacking a significant tan.

Body Type: Erick is slightly shorter than the average boy his age and is a healthy weight in proportion to his height. He has some decent muscle tone and strength in his limbs on account of his talent, but his build is considerably less stocky or well-built than one might initially expect. However, Erick does have small but noticeable abs as part of his build from good core strength, but compared to other guys he could easily be outdone in terms of a strong build. His face shape is oval, with a sharp jaw, slightly pointed chin and relatively high cheekbones. His other facial features consist of a small upturned nose and a pair of thin pale red lips which are often pressed together, or appear twisted into an unamused scowl when appropriate. Overall, Erick's appearance and shorter height can make him seem a little younger than he is and without having prior knowledge of his personality, his face and eyes portray an innocent look, perhaps even coming off as a little 'cute' even.

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: Erick has no birthmarks to speak of, but he does have a small tattoo on the inside of his left wrist, which shows a leopard head enclosed within a round circle. As for scars, Erick has a few thin ones along his arms underneath his jacket, as well as the odd remnant of a bullet wound in his stomach, also hidden underneath his jacket.

Height: 5.6 ft

Weight: 152 lbs

Normal Clothing: Erick's clothing is pretty casual, especially for his current outfit. This consists of a simple white short sleeved shirt with a round neck, worn underneath a tough sleeveless fabric jacket, a small zipper at the bottom allowing it to be opened and closed, but Erick seems to prefer to wear it open. The jacket is made of a dark grey material, with a white and lighter grey horizontally striped collar reaching up along both sides of his neck and a hood which he can pull up over his hair whenever he feels like it. It also bears a small insignia on the left chest, depicting a white and grey circle with a broken grey heart in the centre, a darker grey tool positioned directly below it for symbolism. On his lower body, Erick wears a pair of casual and slightly ripped black jeans, secured with a lighter grey belt and rectangular buckle. There are pockets in the jeans, which can be useful for filling with notes and tools of his trade. The jeans end just before his ankles, tapered off and worn with thick light blue striped socks and a pair of strong-grip dark brown boots, laced tightly and securely and boasting a strong grip heel. Most of his clothing is, of course, composed of designer brands.

Exercise Clothing: When exercising, Erick will just throw on the most convenient and practical pieces of clothing he has in his wardrobe: a short sleeved shirt with the number thirteen (his lucky number) pasted in grey on the left chest (the shirt choice colours being pale blue, navy or red), worn with darker grey jogging bottoms or shorts, striped ankle socks and light grey trainers with a navy streak running through them, securely laced up. For swimming, Erick would simply opt for a pair of pale blue swimming trunks, darker blue stripes on the rim of the legs and secured with an identical blue drawstring.

Sleepwear: For sleeping, Erick would wear something simple and casual. This includes a short pyjama set, the shorts coloured navy with a light grey stripe pattern, worn with a light grey short sleeved shirt, a navy stitched pocket to the right. This would likely be worn with thick and fluffy navy bed-socks, patterned with white spots.

Accessories: Erick has a few notable accessories. This includes a simple but cool black choker around his neck, a highly technical silver wrist-smartwatch with built in GPS control around his right wrist and a few variously coloured bands around his other wrist (held there for later use, colours including pale red, blue, green and black). Additionally, he wears a typical white engineer's hat. Erick also has a single earring stud in his exposed left ear, depicting an upside-down silver triangle, as well as a large sturdy fabric backpack shaded black with white and pale grey stripes. This includes a flask of his favourite sweet and milky tea, some fruit slices, a thick leather-bound notebook and stationary, compass and geometry sets.

** 15\. Anastasia Katrina Klevorick: The Ultimate Mercenary (Created by BloodyDemon666) **

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Birthday: August 13th

Nationality: Russian-American

Talent: Ultimate Mercenary

Blood Type: AB+

Hair Color Strawberry Blonde

Hair Style/Length: straight and reaches down her back

Eye Color: Emerald Green

Skin Tone: Light

Body Type: athletic with F cup size breasts

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: American flag tattoo on her left breast along with a knife on her right shoulder

Height: 5' 6"

Weight: 129 lbs

Normal Clothing: tank top, camouflage button up long sleeve shirt she likes to keep it half buttoned so it can show off her cleavage, cargo pants, and black combat boots

Exercise Clothing: She usually likes to wear red sweats since it reminds her of her life as a killer

Sleepwear: Prefers sleeping in her bra and panties or going completely commando

Accessories: She usually wears a sports watch and has a pair of studded earrings

** 16\. Katsumi Ryoma: The Ultimate Fisherman (Created by Trygve11) **

Gender: Male

Age:17

Birthday: August 22

Nationality: Japanese/American

Talent: Ultimate Fisherman

Blood Type: O negative

Hair Color: Black

Style: Long and sleek down to just above his shoulders (Percy Jackson hairstyle)

Eye color: Green

Skin tone: Tan

Scars: A long scar on his shoulder.

Height: Six foot

Weight: 190 Lb

Normal Clothing: plain black sneaker, with a pair of plain blue jeans, he also wears white socks and a white long sleeve shirt with a small salmon on the front left side and a bigger picture of it on the back. He also wears a black vest sleeveless vest over that, and he also has plain black hat with two hooks on the bill.

Exercise clothing: Gym shorts and an athletic shirt

Sleepwear: Shorts and tank top

Accessories: A fish knife along with a few other fishing accessories

** 17\. Tyler Wick: The Ace Battle Royale Player (Created by Sparten2121) **

Gamer Name: XXXMaster69Noob

Gender: Male

Age: 12

Birthday: 9/2

Nationality: American

Talent: Ace Battle Royale player

Blood Type: A

Hair Color: Black

Hair Style/Length: Messy hair

Eye Color: Brown

Skin Tone: Very Fair

Body Type: Short and skinny

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: Chug Jug tattoo on his hand

Height: 5'0

Weight: 130

Normal Clothing: He wears a black shirt that says True gamer on the front .He wears tight jeans and he wears white vans .He also wears thick black glasses and a pubg cap

Exercise Clothing: Same as his regular clothing

Sleepwear: Apex legends pyjamas

Accessories: He carries a backpack that looks like a Fortnite loot side are "Homemade" Chug jugs which are just berry flavoured Gatorade and a lot of Dorito bags of many different flavors, like a tryear gamer

** 18\. Latia 'Lala' Cappuchi: The Ultimate Innovative Coffee Maker (Created by life among the dead) **

Gender: Female

Age: 18

Birthday: December 31st

Nationality: Italian

Talent: Ultimate Innovative Coffee Maker

Blood Type: O+

Hair Color: Light brown

Hair Style/Length: Long thigh-length hair pulled into low ponytails that reaches her waist. Her bangs hover over her eyes, slightly curves to the right, and one side strand frames the right side of her face. Two red, short, pointed strands curve out on both sides of her head, just above her bangs.

Eye Color: Vibrant green

Skin Tone: Tanned

Body Type: Fit, athletic build. She has a DD-cup bust, has prominent curves, and toned legs.

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks: Latia has an assortment of vibrant colorful stars tattooed under the curve of her eyes, stopping just at the bridge of her nose.

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 129 lbs

Normal Clothing: Latia wears a pink and black leopard print short-sleeved shirt with a black long sleeve underneath it, beige cargo shorts, slightly oversized socks, and black and neon green velcro sneakers.

Exercise Clothing: Take away the long sleeve and replace the cargo shorts with a highwaist red leggings.

Sleepwear: Sleeps in boxers and nothing else.

Accessories: She has a dog tag necklace around her neck, a black metallic ring on her middle finger, and a black leather face mask that covers her lower face that has a zipper, which she can unzip to show her mouth. She also carries around a large knapsack, carrying various amounts of different ingredients, filters and her coffee pot.

* * *

**OC Template:**

(BASICS) (Pretty self explanatory. I'm open to whatever though. I don't want to put anymore restrictions, on what you envision for your character)

Full Name:

Gender:

Age:

Birthday:

Nationality:

Religious beliefs (if any):

Talent:

Sexuality:

Blood Type:

(Appearance)

Hair Color

Hair Style/Length:

Eye Color:

Skin Tone:

Body Type:

Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks:

Height:

Weight:

Normal Clothing:

Exercise Clothing:

Sleepwear:

Accessories:

(Personal Information)

Personality:

Character Traits:

Greatest Fears:

Hobbies:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Friendships/Enemies: (What sort of people would your character be able to befriend and get along with, and conversely who would they have trouble getting with or loathe?)

Romance: (Are you alright seeing your character fall in love? If so I just need to know and what would compel them?)

History: (You can make this a paragraph or a page long. I just need enough to know how your character became the person they are. What shaped them? What drives them?)

People of note: (Does your character have any important friends and or family outside of the killing game? Or just important characters in their life?)

Secrets: (I need this from EVERYONE. There needs to be that one skeleton in your closet, that you'd lament getting out.)

Reason why your character could kill: (Not everyone will have a straightforward reason. Just give me something to work with. Is there some secret? Some person in their lives that could be used to motivate them? Are they impulsive or hot-headed? Giving me an answer doesn't mean your character will be a blackened, but it does give me more to work with character-wise.

Preferred role in the Game: (Protagonist, Victim, Survivor, Mastermind, or something else entirely?)

Reaction to the Killing Game: (Self-explanatory, but give me a general sense or even some sample dialogue of how they would handle this)

Reaction to discovering a body: (Self-explanatory, but give me a general sense or even some sample dialogue of how they would handle this)

Reaction to being accused as the blackened: (Self-explanatory, but give me a general sense or even some sample dialogue of how they would handle this)

FTE: (If you have any ideas for your character to explore in free time with someone, please share them with me. It can be something simple or very serious and complex. The more the merrier)

Quotes: (I'd like to see a bare minimum of 3-4 quotes from all applicants. It serves to help me know how the character speaks.)

Introduction: (How would they first introduce themselves to someone else?)

Mannerisms: (List if applicable)

Execution Ideas: (Optional)

MISC: (Anything else you wish to share.)


	2. Conscription Day: Act One

**9:00 A.M Day One**

**Location Unknown**

Elizabeth Grey opened her eyes with a start as the sound of a siren blared out through the room she found herself in. She wore a dark blue suit jacket with matching trousers, under which she had a light blue shirt with the top buttons undone, that showed off her generous cleavage.

"Where... the fuck am I?" She wondered as her eyes scanned the room around her. She appeared to be in a cold metal corridor, with doors lining it on each side. The doors seemed to have a slot on each of them that would normally hold name cards, however at the moment they were empty. Between the doors posters of some kind appeared to be plastered to the walls, however, Elizabeth could not make them out from her current position on the floor in the dim light that streamed in from the window far behind her.

She was about to get up and have a look around, when she spotted someone next to her. It was a boy wearing a dress shirt and blue tie, with a black and white blazer with black dress pants and a gold belt. He also wore black and white boots, white gloves, and a black and white billed dress hat, which at the moment had fallen to his side. However his body was mostly covered loosely with a light grey overcoat, which gave him the look of some kind of officer.

"Hey, are you alright?" Elizabeth asked the unconscious boy as she reached out and lightly shook him by the shoulder.

The brown haired boy groaned, struggling to wake as he rubbed the back of his head, sitting up. "Uhhh, where am I?" He mumbled. Upon opening his azure blue eyes and noticing Elizabeth, he jumped up and squeaked, looking away shyly.

"U-um, hi. Do you know where we are?" He asked quietly, putting on his hat to shield his eyes,

Elizabeth blinked for a moment, taking the boy in. "Nah sorry, I'm as in the dark as you."

She adjusted her hat and chuckled at him.

"Look it's okay, you don't have to be nervous. We just need to figure out what the hell's going on. My name's Elizabeth Grey, I'm the Ultimate Businesswoman. What's your name?"

The boy shifted his feet, unable to look Elizabeth in the eyes, seeming to find the ground more interesting instead. "Sorry, I'm just a bit nervous around new people. Um, I'm Nolan Levesque, the Ultimate Ice Sculptor. I-It's really nice to meet you, Elizabeth." Nolan introduced himself politely yet nervously.

"Aww, I like you. You're sweet." She said with a smile. She quickly looked around at the posters that were on the walls. Walking up to one she took a good look at it before her eyes visibly widened.

The poster was a painting of Junko Enoshima in a sexy army uniform, pointing at the viewer. It had text on it that read: "Your queen needs you to start the tragedy anew!"

"Err, Nolan. You better take a look at this..." She said with hesitation.

Nolan slowly walked up next to her, his eyes widening with realization. "Is that...?" He trailed off, whimpering quietly. "This isn't good. We're not in one of those... y'know, killing games, are we? I don't wanna die!" He cried out.

"Halt die Klappe, du dummes Arschloch..." A voice hissed from down the hall. The girl and boy turned to see another figure stand up as he rubbed his head. He was wearing a formal outfit consisting of a black silk suit, firmly pressed, with a matching blue neck tie. He had a pin on his lapel as well as a crimson rose sticking out of his pocket. He wore a pair of white gloves on his hands, emblazoned with the Skyline Academy logo on the back. He wore a matching pair of slacks, along with formal leather shoes and a leather belt around his waist, this time lacking the buckle.

The Businesswoman was taken aback briefly, before quickly recomposing herself.

"Hey mate, you speak English?" She asked.

The man glared at her for a moment, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. When he opened them again a thin smile graced his lips.

"Ah yes excuse me, where are my manners? My name is Wolfgang Amadeus Von Schwarz. It's very nice to meet you both," he said as he offered them a formal bow.

"Um, hi! I'm Nolan, and I like ice!" The blue eyed boy blurted out, his face going red.

"S-sorry, I'm never good at introducing myself. If you don't mind me asking, what did you say just a minute ago?" Nolan asked, quick to change the subject.

Wolfgang set his eyes on Nolan with a slight grin. "Oh never mind that, I was just wondering where I was..." Suddenly he looked around him, a look of concern on his face.

"Scheisse! Where the fuck is my saxophone?!"

"Saxophone?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes! I am the great Ace Saxophonist Wolfgang Von Schwarz! Surely you are not so unsophisticated as to not know who I am?!" Wolfgang snapped back.

"No. Not a clue." Nolan frowned, before noticing the intense look Wolfgang was giving him. "Sorry! Please don't hurt me!" He whimpered. "I just want to go home..." The Ice Sculptor stammered.

"Look will you calm down!? This has to be some kind of sick joke! There's no way..." The Businesswoman suddenly felt her arm and realised that there was something on it under her suit. Rolling up her sleeve, she realised that she was wearing some kind of tablet computer that was strapped to her arm.

"What the bloody hell is this?" She said looking it over.

Nolan blinked, adjusting his hat as he felt something also strapped to his left arm, pulling out a similar device. "Huh? It seems like it's some sort of tablet..." He mumbled curiously, opening it up. "It's pretty small..."

Wolfgang looked under his sleeve to find he had one as well. Quickly he began to try and pull on it, only to find that it would not budge. He growled before shaking his head for a moment.

"Beruhige dich, Wolfgang, du kannst das durchstehen. Du machst immer..." He mumbled to himself before turning to the other two.

"Well it seems whatever the circumstances of this are, our captors are clearly doing this against our will. The next course of action we should take is to find out if there are any others around here. If this is indeed a killing game then I doubt we are alone."

Nolan simply gave a shy nod in response, tipping the bill of his hat down to shield his eyes. "R-right. Its ok, I can do this. We'll be fine." He breathed to himself convincingly. The good looking Ice Sculptor finally looked up, giving them a determined nod. "O-ok. I think I'm ready!" He squeaked, trying to sound tough.

"There's a window over there, let's see if we can get an idea of where we are?" Elizabeth replied as she walked past Wolfgang and peered out the window.

An even greater feeling of dread filled her when she realised that out of the window no land could be seen in any direction, only water for miles on end. Quickly it became apparent to all in the room that they were far away from home...

* * *

**9:15 A.M Day One**

**Location Unknown**

"Sacrebleu! This will not do at all! Leaving a lady such as I on the floor, my dress is filthy! The nerve of some people..." A blond girl said as she tried to wipe the dirt and grime off of her white-button blouse and lilac skirt.

The room she had awoken in seemed to be some kind of storage room, rope, life jackets, repair tools, as well as other bits and pieces were stored along shelves on the walls and scattered along the floor. As well as the typical affair, big barrels were stored in a corner of the room, though their contents could not be seen as they were all tightly sealed shut.

Picking up her Flute she began to blow into it, the tune distorted due to something in the air tube.

"What have they done? This is ridiculous, they better not have damaged this!" She said as she continued blowing into it to dislodge the blocking materials.

"Oi love, best to be focused on finding a way out rather than cleaning your filthy dress," Roman angrily twitched, annoyed by her attitude, "We need to search this room for resources, or is there something in your arse preventing ya from being helpful, come look or I'm going to shove that flute where the sun don't shine." Agitation was clear on his face.

The boy wore a light brown long sleeved dirty shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a picture of a fake beige pirate's map printed on the front of his shirt with the words 'Adventure doesn't find you, you find it first!" in swirly black letters, beige long cargo pants, held up by dark brown utility belt around his waist with a golden skull buckle on the front, with tons of pockets, a dark red sleeveless hoodie left unzipped with dark yellow strings and hood and dark brown steel toe hiking boots laced up tight.

The girl stopped what she was doing and looked up at the boy.

"Where the sun don't shine? We haven't even seen the sun since we woke up so I'm not sure what you mean, but you really need to work on your tone. You haven't even had the common decency to introduce yourself." She said with a pout.

"Oh I'm so sorry your highness, please don't bust my balls and serve them for dinner," he bowed with an air of sarcasm, "The name's Roman Callum Pearce, but call me Roman, I'm a big name where I come from, pleased to meet ya, I'm the Ultimate Treasure Hunter," he said that with a sense of pride in his tone, almost cocky in the sense. "Now what's your name, love?"

"Ultimate Treasure Hunter? Ah you're from Hope's Peak Academy, how quaint. Let's get started on the right foot, shall we?" She said, giving him a curtsy. "Bonjour, I am Henriette Antoine. I am the Elite Flutist. I hope you are a fellow hard worker and not some slacker."

"Ohoho blimey an Elite, must be some fancy pants school you go to," he suddenly takes an interest in her, "Where are my manners, a potentially wealthy lady such as yourself shouldn't sully her hands with this lot." he puts on a smile for her, "I guess ya can say that I don't have these scars for nothing."

Henriette smiled brightly. "A man of adventure? How delightful!" She said, clapping her hands together. "But I do agree we should start by figuring out where we are, hopefully a strong man such as yourself will have no issue with that."

He winks at the flutist, the same grin plastered on his face as he brushed back his hair, "Well love, flattery seems to suit ya pretty face all too well there," he then makes a quick glance at her physique, noting her bust, "As a refined gentleman of her highness' country, I'd be happy to escort ya out of here if need be," he fiddles with his hoodie pockets, "I might give ya a discount too, cause my fees ain't cheap either."

Henriette nodded as they began to look around the area they were in. Quickly it became apparent that they were in some kind of storage area that seemed to be far larger than it initially appeared. Suddenly they began to pass things that seemed slightly off, old military uniforms piled on top of one another, pots of some strange looking paint and targets that seemed to be used for target practice. Among the targets however there was one that stood out.

On her knees stiff as sculpture was what appeared to be a Nun dressed from head to toe in the standard black attire you would expect. Her skin was as white as porcelain along with her hair. Her eyes however stood out as blood red.

"How odd, why is there a statue of a nun sat there?" The Flutist wondered.

Roman approaches the Nun, poking her cheek, "Oi, you awake!?" he calls out to her, "She's alive, that's sure enough."

The Nun looked up at Roman, face still as a statue. "Oh pardon me. I was deep in prayer as I have been waiting for that man to come back. It's been a while but I suppose I can introduce myself." She said in a flat monotone voice.

As she rose to her feet it became clear that the robes she wore clung to her body nicely, as her very curvy hourglass figure became apparent as she stood straight up. Her black tunic reached her thighs over a collared undershirt of the same colour, with a small black corset around her waist, a large white cloth that covers the lower part of her tunic and another one tied around it. She wore white Mary Jane shoes and covered her legs with black thigh-high stockings

"My name is Joan Blanc, and I am the Ultimate Nun."

Henriette rose an eyebrow. "Man to come back? What are you talking about?"

"Well then, didn't expect to see a fucking nun here too," Roman said with a shocked tone, surrounded by two gorgeous woman and resisting the urge to flirt with them, "Good day love, what brings you round these parts? Ya stuck in here as well?"

"I suppose I am." Joan replied back coldly as she stared at him unblinkingly for a while.

She turned to the flutist. "And I'm talking about the man with the fish on his shirt. He said he would be back soon."

"Come again, who's this loon you're talking about," Roman enquired, unsure of what she was talking about, "Some wanker with a fish on his shirt, come on Joan, Henriette, don't we need to find a way outta here first, before finding your fish god."

"Fish God? Never heard that one before." A male voice said as a man slowly made his way back into view. Standing at six feet tall with muscular arms he wore plain black sneakers, with a pair of plain blue jeans, and white socks, along with the white long sleeve shirt with a small salmon on the front left side and a bigger picture of it on the back. He also wore a black sleeveless vest over that, and he also had a plain black hat with two hooks on the bill.

"Seems we have company Joan. Hey there, the name's Katsumi Ryoma and I'm the Ultimate Fisherman. Who are you guys?"

Henriette found herself slightly blushing as she looked at the boy, a foot taller than she was.

"Oh hello there, I'm Henriette Antoine. P-pleased to meet you." She said with a slightly goofy grin on her face.

"Sup stranger, Roman Callum Pearce, don't wear it out," he nods at the fisherman, "What brings you round these parts, I seem to have stumbled upon a treasure trove of beauts, unlike yourself." He seems a bit annoyed by all the sudden introductions, but ignores it.

Katsumi rolled his eyes at the comment. "I'm not sure what's going on either, but I found a door around the back that seems to lead to the outside. However the door is rusty and I can't get it open by myself. Don't suppose you folks could give me a hand?"

The Flutist fiddled with her instrument for a moment. "Oh of course. I'm not normally one for manual labour, but I'm sure I can be of assistance."

The Nun stared unerringly as she observed the others, before her eyes landed on Roman once more.

"Whatcha looking at fish boy," he eyed the fisherman with a peeved yet somewhat confident glare, "Ya gonna stand around looking pretty or are ya going to help us outta here?"

"I'll take that as a yes. Come on, it's this way." The Fishman replied as he walked off in the other direction.

The Nun continued to stare at Roman for a moment, before turning around and following Katsumi.

Henriette composed herself quickly, before glancing at the Treasure Hunter. "Well he seems like a nice man, though I have to admit that Nun is a little odd." She admitted quietly.

"Nice my foot," Roman mumbled to himself, "I never liked nuns, had them when I was growing up, never could stand them."

He eyed the flutist and walked away, too exhausted to talk any more.

* * *

**9:30 A.M Day One**

**Location Unknown**

"My, my, what a strange place. Now how did I get here?" Janna Diaseva asked herself as she rubbed her eyes and looked around the room she was in. She appeared to be in some kind of communal dining area. Tables and chairs lined the entire room and at the far end built into the wall there appeared to be a serving counter, with a room for the staff beyond it. No food or cutlery was currently in sight, however a few closets and cabinets could be seen lining the walls

"Hello! Is anyone there? Is this some kind of a surprise party? I'm flattered but it's not my birthday." She called out with a giggle.

Pietro Lombardi found himself waking up with a pounding headache, a groan escaping his lips as he shakily got to his feet. He stood up behind the serving counter as well: a fact that confused him, given he did _not_ remember going to sleep in a dining area at all. "What the hell is this?" he grunted aloud, a sense of alarm starting to swell within him. He glanced over at Janna, only now noticing her presence. "Hey, you there. Where the hell am I?"

As he looked at the girl he took in her clothing. She was wearing a hot pink sundress with bright blue flowers and black swirls patterned all over it with the skirt section ending above her knees, a black ribbon sash around her waist with a bright blue bow on the back with a sparkly diamond brooch pinned in the centre of the bow, a cropped dark blue long sleeved cardigan over the dress, black cone heels with pink ribbon bows on the ankle straps and glitter yellow stockings that end at her thighs. She wore various gems; a diamond necklace with a bright red heart shaped gem surrounded by diamonds around her neck, a silver gem bracelet around her right wrist with multi coloured gems on the bracelet, a rose gold diamond encrusted watch on her left wrist and a gold rainbow moonstone hair comb fashioned into the right side of her head and a silver one fashioned in the left side of her head.

She blinked for a moment at him, before a bashful smile filled her face and she scratched the back of her head.

"I'm ever so sorry but I have no idea either, I woke up just a moment ago." She paused. "What are you doing back there? Are you the chef?... Actually I should introduce myself first. My name's Janna Diaseva, feel free to call me Jenny or Gem, whichever you prefer, I'm the Ultimate Gemologist. It's a pleasure to meet you." She finished with a warm smile.

Pietro raised an eyebrow at her, not quite sure what to think of the girl and her _unusual_ appearance. It certainly stood out to his own: he was dressed far more formally. He wore what appeared to be the robes of a cardinal in the Catholic Church. A red cap, a billowing red cloak, and a red robe underneath that: the only thing that seemed to suggest he wasn't an actual Cardinal, or a regular one at least, was the military insignia on his uniform, as well as the holstered gun at his side.

"I actually am a chef, but that does not matter at this moment. My name is Pietro Lombardi, Cardinal-Major in the Order of the Inquisitorial Knights, as set up by his Holiness Pope Leo XIV. I was once the Professional Chef, but I have since become the Professional Inquisitor, as ordained by his Holiness. Tell me, have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal saviour?" he asked, bowing slightly as he introduced himself.

"That... is... so cool!" She said with stars in her eyes. "An inquisitor? That's amazing! I didn't-"

Suddenly a loud banging could be heard coming from some of the closets in the room and it began to shake and sway on its own.

"What is this insolence!? LET ME OUT! This is unlawful imprisonment!" A voice suddenly came from the closet.

Janna looked in the direction of the voice with a start.

"Is that closet talking?" She asked in disbelief.

Pietro blinked rapidly, looking at the closet curiously. After a moment he hopped over the counter, getting into the dining area proper before striding over to it. He quickly approached it, and used all the strength in his possession to open the door.

The door burst open and a woman fell out beside Pietro. She wore a white hat with a brown steering wheel design on it. She was dressed in a white, single breasted suit coat with six golden buttons with a white collared dress shirt underneath and a black tie. On her coat are multiple gold medals. On her legs she wore white suit trousers as well as black dress shoes. Looking up at the two she quickly placed distance between herself and them and after rising to her feet with a click of her heels, she drew the pistol that was on her right side and aimed it at the two, backing away slowly.

"What is the meaning of this!? Identify yourselves, now!" She shouted at them.

Pietro glanced down at her pistol, smirking slightly as if he found the sight of it amusing. He glanced back up at her face after a moment though, composing himself as he gave her a nod. "We are in the dark just as much as you, ma'am. Miss Janna and I both woke up in this room, and neither of us know where we are or what is going on."

"Yeah that's right! Let's not get violent, please put the gun away." The Gemologist pleaded.

The woman gave both of them a cold stare, examining them both before slowly placing the gun back in its holster. "I suppose there is no need to do anything rash."

Clicking her heels again, she stood straight to attention.

"I am Commander Cecelia Perry, officer to the Royal Novoselic Navy and Ultimate Naval Commander." She offered a salute. "Last thing I remember I was aboard the RNN Peletier. Have either of you seen any of my crew?"

"I have not seen anyone here besides the two of you," Pietro replied, shaking his head. "It would be a good idea to change that, however. Our best option at this point is to explore wherever we are, and hope to find someone who can give us answers."

Janna tapped her finger to her lips. "Wait a minute. Three people who all went to talent schools all in the same room? That's a little odd. I wonder what could be going on."

"I have a good theory but you're not going to like it." Another much deeper voice echoed out as a man slowly crawled his way from under a table. As he stood up and stretched his arms, it could be seen that he looked like a scientist, with a black shirt and black khakis, over which he wore a white lab coat. He appeared to have a flashlight and a magnifying glass sticking out of his pocket.

"Christ I feel like I've been fed a class F amnestic..." He looked around as he observed his surroundings and the strange people that where looking at him. "How on earth did I get here? Please tell don't me I fell through an interdimensional portal... again."

Cecelia looked at the man blankly.

"Have you been listening to us under that table? How long have you been awake?" She asked.

"Only since you burst out of that closet. What can I say, this floor is quite comfortable." He responded, as he began to clean the magnifying glass with his coat.

"He seems like a strange one." She mused aloud, casting an awkward glance at Janna and Pietro.

Pietro gave the scientist a long, hard stare, before slowly shaking his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. But it seems we're all at a loss as to how we arrived at this location."

The man shrugged his shoulders, putting the magnifying glass back in his pocket.. "Well then my theory might as well be confirmed. Oh yes, I should introduce myself, shouldn't I? That's how this normally goes, isn't it? You can call me Dr Richards. I've been called the Ultimate SCP Researcher before, whatever that even means."

"SCP Researcher? That's great talent!.. What's an SCP Researcher?" Janna asked tilting her head.

"I'm afraid that's above your security clearance. However I can tell you this. If my theory is correct then I believe we may currently be in a killing game. How annoying, and yet intriguing..." Dr Richards replied.

Pietro stiffened at that, eyes going wide briefly, before he imposed a more neutral expression on his face. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly before speaking again. "I shall pray that is not the case. Regardless, I think we had best leave this room. Unless someone else wishes to pop out, we'd be better served exploring whatever else this place has to offer."

"Agreed. If this is indeed a killing game then that means that Ultimate Despair must be near. I swear if I find them I will personally deliver justice for what they have done to my country and our king!" The Naval Commander declared.

"Ah, vengeance. A common human emotion. I wonder where it will take you…" The SCP Researcher said, turning away from the group. "There appears to be a door to the exit over in that direction. Let's see if we can find out where we have been taken." He said as he began to walk away.

The Gemologist fiddled with her dress a bit, before forcing another smile on her lips. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's get going. Hopefully this is just a big misunderstanding."

"Lord give me strength..." Pietro murmured to himself, pausing briefly to cross himself, before striding forward to leave with the others.

* * *

**9:40 A.M Day One**

**Location Unknown**

Yijun Xiong sat with his legs crossed as he examined his surroundings, taking in every single meticulous detail. He was currently in a communal shower area and a very dirty and damp one at that. Showerheads hung on the walls covered in mould and scale as cloudy water dripped onto the tiled floor, before draining into the pipes below.

He looked once more at his wrist. Some kind of pad had been attached to his arm. It was barely noticeable from just feeling alone, but with his right side exposed it had been obvious to him from the get go. Questions circled around his mind, nothing made any sense and how could he have gotten here-

"Err, hello? Birdman? You alive?" A female voice suddenly echoed through his mind. Refocusing his gaze he looked at the woman in front of him he suddenly remembered her presence, something that had slipped his mind in his extreme focus.

"Oh excuse me. My mind is currently unfocused. I will make an effort for it not to be so in the future." Yijun replied as he made his way back to his feet.

Standing straight up, his form was fully on display. Yijun was indeed a "birdman" of sorts. Wearing a pure white silk robe with an intricate and regal golden pattern stitched on and around it, his body was covered in black and dark blue feathers, and his body showing the features of one; such as beak on his face, talons on his hands. On his back two large feathered wings spread out behind him.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yijun Xiong and I am the Super Duper High School Level Shaolin Warrior. And who might you be, miss?"

The woman gave him a toothy grin as he placed a hand on her hip. She wore a tank top, camouflage button up long sleeve shirt, cargo pants, and black combat boots. Her body was strong and muscular, yet nice and curvy, which was shown from the generous cleavage that her tank top offered.

Reaching into her cleavage she pulled out a cigarette pack and a lighter and quickly lit one up, taking a generous drag.

"Well you're an interesting one, aren't you? That's quite the title you've got there." She said blowing out the smoke. "Name's Anastasia Katrina Klevorick, Ultimate Mercenary. I was going to ask how we got here, but considering what you just said it seems that would be a bit pointless." She held out the pack to the Monk. "Want one?"

"No thank you. Tobacco unbalances the body and the spirit." He replied, stretching his limbs.

"Suit yourself." She said, putting the pack and lighter back between her breasts. She quickly pulled back her right sleeve and found a device on her arm as well.

"Seems someone put one of these weird things on me as well" She tapped the screen a few times, to no response. "Wonder what this does?"

"So it seems there is life here after all. That's a relief, I was starting to get bored." A muffled female voice said as she walked in from one of the doors that entered the shower room.

The girl wore a pink and black leopard print short-sleeved shirt with a black long sleeve top underneath it, beige cargo shorts, slightly oversized socks, and black and neon green velcro sneakers. She also had a dog tag necklace around her neck, a black metallic ring on her middle finger, and a large knapsack. However the most noticeable thing about her was the black leather face mask that covered her lower face that had a zipper that was currently closed.

Anastasia perked up as she looked at the girl, taking another puff of her cigarette. "Hey there. You have any idea what's going on?"

The girl rubbed her chin for a moment, her expression one of deep thoughts. Then she quickly unzipped her mask.

"Nope, absolutely no idea! Anyways I might as well introduce myself. I am the great Latia Cappuchi, the Ultimate Innovative Coffee Maker!" She said sticking out her tongue, before quickly zipping her mask back up again.

The Monk cocked an eyebrow. "I see… well whatever the case my name is Yijun Xiong. Ms Cappuchi, have you seen anyone else around here? I don't mean to cause any panic, but from the looks of it, it seems that we have been kidnapped."

"Well duh! Of course we've been kidnapped! Probably by those despair assholes. Oh and call me Lala, everyone does!" The coffee maker replied with a smile.

The Mercenary took one more breath of her cigarette before flicking it to the ground and putting it out under her boot. "You're surprisingly upbeat about all of this, aren't you? And you didn't answer his question. You hiding something?" She asked, looking her over suspiciously.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." Latia said, opening her zipper. "Look miss… what's your name?"

"Anastasia."

"Anataser, got it. Let's try and get along, how about some coffee?" The coffee maker said, getting out a flask from her bag.

The Mercenary's eye twitched. "It's _Anastasia_. An-a-stas-ia, get it?" She said taking the flask. "And you still haven't answered the question."

Latia took a deep breath, as her smile faded. "Okay, I'm sorry if I'm being a bit odd, I'm just not good with people. Yes I found someone, a kid who can't even be a teenager yet. He's outside that door, I was just making sure that you guys weren't dangerous. Sorry if I made a bad impression." She said with a look of utter sincerity on her face.

The Monk smiled softly. "That's very admirable of you, looking out for a child like that. He must be terrified right now."

The Mercenary relaxed as she unscrewed the coffee. "Nah its cool man. Tell the little guy he can come it, we aren't gonna hurt him." She said as she took a sip of the coffee. Immediately her eyes bugged out as she spat the liquid out almost instantly, coughing and spluttering all over the place.

"Miss Klevorick, are you alright!?" The monk cried running to her side. Immediately however his worry was interrupted as he heard uproarious laughter coming from the coffee maker.

"Oh man, the classic hot sauce and vinegar cappuccino never gets old! I can't believe you fucking fell for that!" She turned to the door. "Come out, Tyler, it's fine. These guys are idiots!"

Suddenly the door burst open as a small kid ran into the room and slid along the room's floor on his knees.

"LOL dude! You got fucken pawned, bitch!" He shouted, quickly getting up and taking a large gulp out of a chug jug shaped container. The boy wore a black shirt that said "True gamer" on the front and tight jeans with white van brand shoes. He also wore thick black glasses and a cap with the PUBG logo on it. On his back he had a backpack that looked like a Fortnite loot box.

Yijun stood dumbfounded. "What is the meaning of this?! Who do you think you are?!"

"Shut the fuck up, asshole!" The boy replied, as he began to perform the Fortnite default dance. "I'm Tyler Wick, the Ace Battle Royale player and God tier gamer!" He stopped his dance and struck a pose, a cocky grin plastered on his face. "Nice furry suit you got there you fucking faggot!"

The Monk's jaw dropped, rendered speechless. He couldn't believe what he was hearing!

The Mercenary spat out the rest of the coffee and glared daggers at Latia.

"You fucking BITCH!" She shouted, balling up her fists. She was about to lunge at her when Yijun held her back by her shoulder.

"Now this is all uncalled for, apologise immediately. Both of you." The Monk said, his eyes narrowing.

The Coffee Maker tapped her chin. "Hmm… No!" She answered cheerfully, zipping her mask back up. "See ya!" She quickly began to walk out the door.

The Monk was about to stop her when he felt something splash into his eyes, which caused him to cry out in a bird's squawk.

Tyler had thrown the Gatorade into his eyes.

"BOOM! HEADSHOT!" He cried as he quickly ran out of the door, following Latia.

The Monk wiped the soda from his eyes as he growled. "Those two need to be taught some manners."

"Agreed." The Mercenary replied, cracking her knuckles.

* * *

**9:50 A.M Day One**

**Location Unknown**

"Excuse me, are you okay? I've been wandering around for a while and I have no idea where I am." A voice called out, its tone one full of concern.

The raven haired girl let out a long yawn before she cracked one of her eyes open. She slowly pivoted her head to regard the person who'd spoke before managing a wolfish grin. "Heh, I'm not really sure yet. I'm just as clueless as you are I'm afraid. This place doesn't look or smell familiar," she mused as she sat on the floor scratching her chin.

She found herself in a small room filled with the humming of servers and the flashes of lights as the machines loaded their data. The walls were also covered in electronic wire. As she looked up she saw the one that had awoken her was a Japanese boy wearing a dark red shirt, a light red jacket, denim jeans, and red shoes with white tips. However his most stand out feature were the light blue feathered wings that spread out behind him.

The boy grinned happily as she adjusted herself.

"Thank goodness you're okay! I was starting to get worried. Anyway, hi there! My name's Kiyoshi Kaneda and I'm the Ultimate Voice Actor! What's your name?"

The dark skinned girl adjusted her frilly shirt that was offering more than a generous amount of cleavage before she promptly sprang to her feet. Without a word she stalked forward before pulling the boy into her cleavage as she hugged him tightly.

"Aha, nice to meet ya! Don't be such a stranger. Handshakes and bows are for losers!" she howled as she picked the boy off the ground before twirling him once. "Nice to meet you Kiyoshi! I'm Tala Actaeonis, Ace Artisan at your service. There's no need to worry now that Big Sis is awake!"

Kiyoshi found himself blushing heavily as he was effortlessly man handled by the Artisan. Once she put him down he scratched the back of his head, his wings fluttering happily.

"B-big sis? I've never had one of those before. Sounds great!"

Tala offered a fangy grin before resting her hands on her sides.

"Well you do now and that's all there is to it. We should probably stop fooling around for now. Something serious is going on, I don't remember being this close to the ocean before," she mused as she sniffed at the air. "We're not alone here. So we should probably see if anyone else knows more than we do."

The Voice Actor perked up in surprise. "You can tell that just from smell? Well let's go meet then, I'm sure their friendly."

"Maybe. It's hard to tell with some people from just a glance though. You just let big sis handle things if they get hairy kay?" the Artisan asked as she winked at the boy before gesturing at the nearby door.

Kiyoshi nodded as they both exited the room. As they wandered, they found that they were in some kind of tower, with the stairs leading both up and down. Tala's ears perked as she began to hear noise coming from above them. It sounded like mechanical tinkering and mutterings under breath.

The Artisan ticked her head up the flight of stairs. "Seems like there's definitely someone above us. Come on Kiyo, we have a mystery to solve," she said as she eagerly bounded up the stairwell in just a matter of a couple of motions before starring downward as she awaited the boy to follow her in return.

"Woah..." The Voice Actor said in amazement as he followed her upstairs. As the boy reached her side, Tala slowly opened the door and peeked inside. The room looked like a control room of sorts, a circular room lined with tinted windows, filled with computers and radio equipment. Sonar screens, graphs and other screens where all lit aglow as her eyes were drawn to a figure in the centre, tinkering with something on his wrist.

The figure was a man, with flowing hair that reached his black choker wrapped neck, long luscious eyelashes and sparkling light turquoise eyes. He wore a grey jacket, white shirt and jeans that were ripped at the bottom, which met his strong-grip dark brown boots. On the table lay a white engineer's hat and in his hands a screwdriver as he messed around with a device on his wrist. All in all, he summed up the idea of a "pretty boy" as he focused on his task at hand.

Tala ticked her head to the side slightly as she observed the new boy. "Huh, well there's no doubt about it. We're definitely at sea. I don't suppose you know what's going on mister pretty boy?" she asked as she called out to the man who seemed preoccupied with his work.

The man stopped what he was doing and turned his head over in their direction, looking them both over with a sneer on his face.

"What...do _you_ want, other than to clearly do all you can to disturb me from my current train of thought? ...Tch. Whatever, I wasn't getting anywhere with this piece of junk anyway." He placed down the screwdriver and brought up his backpack, placing it on the table. "Why don't you two run along and continue doing whatever unimportant thing you were up to before rudely interrupting me. I have _far_ more important things to be doing than wasting my breath with the like of you."

The voice actor looked at Tala, clearly startled by the man's response.

The Ace Artisan cracked a sickly sweet smile. "Oh I'm sorry. You must be struggling to breathe with your head so far up your own ass. We'll let you work it out on your own though. Come on Kiyo, let's let Asshole over there get back to his work."

"Wait, hang on Tala. He might know what's going on." Kiyoshi said as he entered the room and walked up to him. "Sorry if we're interrupting you but we just want to be friends. My name's Kiyoshi Kaneda, what's yours?" He smiled and held out his hand.

The man completely ignored the offering of a hand shake as he packed his backpack with his tools.

"You clearly don't seem to get the message of when you are being told to go away, but if it'll get you off my back, I'll tell you. I am Erick James Matthews, the Premier Engineer from the London Academy of Talent." He said, putting his hat back on his head. He gestured to the screen on his wrist. "And if you two clearly weren't lacking intellectually, you'd have noticed you are both wearing these stupid things as well."

The voice actor pulled back his sleeve, revealing he had one on him. "What the... I couldn't even feel it. Tala, what about you?"

"Arghhh! It's on really tight too!" the Artisan groaned as she chewed at the device as if she intended to gnaw it off before relenting with a sigh. "Nope that's not coming off. No doubt about it. This has to have something to do with all of those killing games going on. There's no other good explanation for us waking up like this with talented people we don't know in the slightest. So Erick was it? You trying to find a way to take yours off?"

"What do you think I was trying to do before you two barged in? Also if you had bothered to check your surroundings you'd realise we are in the middle of the ocean and on what appears to be an offshore drilling facility." Erick replied.

"Wait, how do you know that?" The voice actor asked, surprised.

"I looked out the window. Try it, you might learn something." The engineer stated in a completely deadpan manner.

Kiyoshi hesitated, before walking up to the window and peering outside. He gasped as he saw that they were about four stories up, and below them appeared to be some kind of massive metal platform connected to three others that he could see.

"How did we get here?" He wondered.

"I believe the girl stated the obvious. Considering that the signals from these radios appear to be blocked, chances are we are indeed in some kind of killing game. What a pain"

Tala huffed. "To be fair I already knew we were in the ocean. Though you're right about one thing. This is definitely a pain," she mused as she walked around and eyed the various terminals. "Hm, any idea how much time we've lost or what time of the month it is?"

"What is this, a fucking gameshow? I answered your questions now stay out of my way. The last thing I need is more distractions from any of you." Erick spat, re-equipping his backpack as he walked past her and began to walk down the stairs.

The Voice Actor walked away from the window, a look of nervousness crossing his face as he nervously grabbed his arms.

"What's his problem, did I say something wrong?"

The Artisan sighed as she shook her head. "Like I said, he seems to have his head shoved up his ass. I'm not a doctor but it seems like a horrible condition. Let's just leave him be. He's really souring my mood," she commented as she gestured towards the door. "He's not the only person here other than us. Let's just hope the rest are more civil."

The boy took a heavy breath, steadying himself. "I-I hope your right."

* * *

**10:00 A.M Day One**

**Location Unknown**

Elizabeth, Nolan and Wolfgang opened the door and finally made their way out of the building they had woken in and stepped outside.

"Woah… How did we get here?" The Businesswoman wondered as the smell of salt caught on the sea's breeze and the sound of the crashing waves from below them invaded her senses.

She looked at her surroundings and saw that they were on a metal platform, about as wide as a football pitch. Numerous metal buildings were littered about the place, some around the same size of the one they had come from, with the exception of a four story tower to their right. A British flag flew from a flagpole in the middle of a wide expansive area in the middle of the platform, with white marching lines drawn on the metal floor beneath them. The platform was connected to three others visible to them, the two to their sides seemed to go to platforms of similar size, however the one in front of them was far larger, with a wide connecting bridge that had signs reading "cleared personnel only."

However most alarmingly, surplus military supplies were dotted around the perimeter. Wooden crates containing ammunition, howitzers, sandbags, camo netting and even various vehicles could also be seen.

Nolan buried his face in his overcoat's collar. "E-elizabeth, I'm scared. I don't think this is a joke, what if this really is a killing game?"

The girl smiled softly and patted his shoulder. "It'll be okay Nolan, I'm right behind you. Whatever happens next, we'll face it together."

"Save your platitudes." Wolfgang scoffed, gesturing to the other buildings. "It seems we aren't alone. Keep your guard up."

The other two looked in the direction he was pointing and saw four others slowly stream out of the door.

"Look, there's some other people! I just knew we weren't alone!" A girl covered in gem encrusted jewellery cheered, before jogging towards them.

"Hey you guys! I'm Janna, Ultimate Gemologist. Are you guys Ultimates too?" She asked.

"Janna! What do you think you are doing?! Just running up to unknown combatants like that, such a lack of discipline." Cecelia shouted as she, along with Pietro and Dr Richards, followed behind her.

Nolan, seeing the other three, immediately darted behind the Businesswoman.

"Those guys have guns…" He whimpered.

"Stop being such a coward." The Saxophonist spat, as he sized up the new arrivals, taking note of the pistols holstered to the side of the Commander and the Inquisitor.

"Guten Tag, fräulein. I am Wolfgang Amadeus Von Schwarz. My companions and I awoke a few moments ago. Am I to assume that the same can be said for your group?" He said, addressing the Commander.

Cecelia looked Wolfgang up and down. "A German? Seems we've been taken from all over the world." She mused. "Whatever the case, it's nice to see someone with some respect. To answer your question, yes, we did wake just a moment ago. From what I have been told this appears to be the signs of a killing game"

Suddenly the loudspeakers located all over the oil rig crackled to life, startling the gathered group. An upper class English voice began to echo throughout the facility through them, its tone refined yet firm and commanding.

" _ **Good Morning, cadets! Hopefully you're all feeling well rested, we have a long day ahead of us. As it seems some of you can't even be trusted to find your way out to the marching square yet, the directions have been put on your map. Anyone not at the location within five minutes will be subject to court martial, so get a move on!"**_

As the voice finished, the devices on all of the group's wrists suddenly flared to life. A map of the platform they were currently on appeared on the screen, with the location of the flagpole being highlighted with a blinking red dot.

Dr Richards examined the map with slight amusement.

"Well it seems that my theory was correct. I think we should amuse whoever that was for now, chances are that 'court martial' is just a themed way of saying immediate termination."

"Yeah, I'm sure once we meet the others we'll be able to figure something out." Elizabeth said as she began to follow the map, followed closely by Nolan.

The Inquisitor swallowed a lump in his throat, before he and the others made their way as well.

A few moments passed and soon two other groups emerged into the square.

"Well, we sure as shit ain't in fucking Kansas anymore, Dorothy!" Roman announced as he looked at his surroundings.

"Dorothy? That's not my name." Henriette replied, before thinking about it for a bit. "Oh! You're referencing The Wizard of Oz! Very amusing."

The Fisherman whistled. "Man I haven't seen that film in a while" He looked over to Joan. "You ever seen that movie? It's a classic."

"I don't watch films. Ever." The Nun said bluntly.

"Err... alright. Suit yourself." Katsumi said, before looking over at the other groups.

The Commander looked to Pietro. "Is the Nun with you, Cardinal?" She asked as Joan approached the group.

Pietro's eyes widened in surprise

"No, I don't recognise her." He mused. "Sister, are you alright?"

"Yes." Joan replied, staring at him blankly.

Pietro glanced at Cecelia, feeling slightly uneasy, when a loud bang rang out from another door being slammed open.

"HA! Kill zone ain't getting me!" Tyler shouted as he ran out of the door, followed silently by a grinning Latia. Then after a pause Yijun and Anastasia emerged, looking thoroughly unamused.

"Is… that a giant pigeon?" Janna asked as she squinted, trying to make sure her eyes weren't tricking her.

"Looks more like a raven to me. But I've never seen one that big before."

Then finally three other people exited from the tower, as Erick, Tala and Kiyoshi began to make their way to the square.

Dr Richards stroked his chin as he noticed Kiyoshi also had wings of his own.

"Seems the mastermind has unleashed anomalous entities to participate in the game with us. Maybe this game won't be unproductive after all." He mused.

The Inquisitor scowled. "So I face demons in this game…" He growled softly, making sure his pistol was where he could reach it.

Soon all of the cadets had made their way to the square. Some stood by the flag, while others like Erick and Latia chose to stand by the outlines.

"I don't like this one bit. Something's wrong, I can smell it." Tala mused, her nose twitching

"Well love the only thing I can smell is sea salt and bird shit! Reminds me of the time I got pissed in Blackpool." The Treasure Hunter quipped.

"Man this is fucking BORING! Where is this little pussy anyway?! Give me a legendary shotgun and a couple of boogie bombs and I'll mess this nigga up!" Tyler declared as he began to floss.

Henriette gasped, placing her hands on her hips. "My word! Such filthy language from a child, your parents should be ashamed of themselves!"

" _ **Bickering already?! Such a lack of discipline…"**_ A voice suddenly echoed from above them.

As they looked up they saw perched at the top of the central platform there was a large birdlike creature, dressed in some kind of uniform. It took one good look at them as it spread its wings and flew down to where they were, standing in front of them.

The creature was around six foot tall and was dressed head to toe in a dark green officer's uniform. Dark yellow stripes, denoting rank, were plastered on his shoulders and on his right arm it had an insignia of a black and white shield, with a red strike going through it similar to the red eye of Monokuma. The creature himself was an anthropomorphic duck, his face light green, his bill a bright yellow and his feathers snow white.

As he adjusted himself his wings seemed to reconfigure themselves into usable hands, which he used to adjust the army cap on his head.

" _ **I am Sergeant Quackers, soldier in our queen of despair's army, and the one who's going to make or break you. Welcome to Skyford Bootcamp!"**_ He declared.

As he gazed around the gathered cadets, a small smile crept onto his face. After all he knew what was about to happen, and the despair that would follow...

* * *

**18 Cadets remain**

* * *

Author's Note: A big shout out to JCW18, Magus1108, Prince PokePersona and Crit Fail for helping to write this chapter and StoryProducer214 for being my beta.

Also if you read this please leave me a review. The feedback really helps my writing and I love to hear from you guys!


	3. Conscription Day: Act Two

**10:15 A.M Day One**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Marching Square**

There was a moment of silence as the gathered cadets processed Sergeant Quacker’s sudden appearance and what he had just said to them. Most were confused, scared or apprehensive of what was about to come.

However others were feeling more confident.

“What the fuck!? Is this some kind of joke? Hey guys! We’ve been kidnapped by Donald Duck!” Roman shouted mockingly.

“Roman, I don’t think antagonising him is a good idea,” Katsumi warned.

“Piss off, fish boy!” The Treasure Hunter spat, before turning his attention back to the Sergeant. “Listen here you flapping, feathered fuck! Why don't you take your boot camp and shove it up your a-aaaarrgghh!”

Roman was interrupted mid speech as he suddenly collapsed to the floor, spasming in pain.

“Roman! What’s wrong!?” Henriette cried, kneeling beside him.

“What the-!? I just got fucking electrocuted!” The Treasure Hunter cried, grabbing the device on his wrist.

Tyler let out a laugh.

“LOL! You got fucking pwned bi-!” Tyler was cut off, letting out a scream as he was wracked by electricity as well.

 ** _“Does anyone else feel like being disrespectful?”_** Quackers asked, peering over the amassed crowd.

Wolfgang looked at the two with a smirk, before directing his attention to the Sergeant.

“No sir, and I do apologize for their behaviour. Given these two’s current state, I take it that anything other than proper conduct will result in punishment?” He said, offering a bow.

The Sergeant walked up to him, staring him down.

 ** _“Resorting to bootlicking already?”_** He asked, picking the rose out of the Saxophonist’s suit’s coat pocket. ** _“Maybe if you didn’t look like a lispy little queer I’d have more respect for you, but points for effort,”_** he said as he crushed the rose head in his fingers and threw the petals into Wolfgang’s face.

Wolfgang glared at the duck, barely suppressing an outburst.

Quackers walked back to his landing spot, placing his hands behind his back.

 ** _“But you are correct. The Field Guides attached to your wrists are far more than just maps. They contain all of the information you will need during your training, as well as the means to punish you if you act out of line. Such as electrocuting those two cretins.”_** He gestured to Tyler and Roman, who were slowly picking themselves off the floor.

Roman grumbled while avoiding his gaze, while Tyler silently walked away from the Sergeant and next to Latia.

“Training? By training I’m going to assume that we have been placed into some kind of killing game,” Yijun asked.

Quackers scoffed.

**_“Skyford Bootcamp is about far more than just some mere killing game. I mean look at you! You would not be fit for target practice, let alone enough for a killing game! No. This training regime is about crafting the perfect soldier of despair, while culling the wheat from the chaff in the process.”_ **

There was a tense silence as the cadets processed what they had been told, when suddenly…

“Err, Mr Quackers. Does that mean we won’t be killing each other?” Janna asked hopefully.

Quickly with a flick of his wrist, the Sergeant launched something at the Gemologist. She let out a cry of pain as the object nicked her shoulder, lightly wounding her as the razor sharp metal feather embedded itself into one of the buildings behind her.

**_“Yes. You will be killing each other, if that wasn’t clearly apparent, you stupid cow.”_ **

At that moment the truth of the situation was finally irrefutable. They were in a killing game, and mood quickly changed to one of fear and worry.

“Are-are you okay!?” Kiyoshi said as he ran up to the girl with Tala in tow.

“No… I'm fine, don’t worry about me…” Janna said shakily, as she placed her hand on the wound that was quickly stained with blood.

Nolan hugged Elizabeth tightly, burying his head into her shoulder. The Businesswoman rubbed his back softly as she glared at the duck.

Tala gave the cut a quick examination, along with a few sniffs.

“The cut isn’t deep. She’ll be fine, but it’ll hurt like a bitch.” She turned back to Quackers, a wolf like growl emanating from her throat.

Quackers grinned. **_“Ah, the red skin is upset. I would call you a bitch, but given what you are you’d probably take that as a compliment.”_**

Tala was stunned in disbelief.

“How… how did you-?” She muttered, before stopping herself.

Dr Richards, hearing this, slowly turned his head to look at the Artisan. He examined her as he went deep into his thoughts.

**_“But enough dallying around. Take a look at your field guides. There you will find the laws that will be in force for the duration of your time here.”_ **

The devices on the wrists of all of the cadets lit up as the rules appeared on the screen. Slowly each of the group began to read set before them.

* * *

** Laws of Skyford Bootcamp **

  1. **All orders given by a superior officer must be followed without question.**
  2. **Cadets are forbidden to attack superior officers under any circumstances.**
  3. **Destruction of any marked equipment or property is strictly forbidden.**
  4. **If a cadet is killed by another cadet, then the guilty party shall become the Traitor and the victim the casualty.**
  5. **After two cadets find a casualty, a casualty discovery alarm will be sounded and the remaining cadets will be given time to investigate and find out who the Traitor is. After this time has passed, the cadets along with the officers will gather in the trial room for a court martial.**
  6. **During the court martial, the innocent cadets must attempt to find the Traitor among them and vote for them.**
  7. **If the cadets correctly vote for the Traitor, then the Traitor will be judged via Trial by Combat.**
  8. **During Trial by Combat the Traitor, along with a randomly selected opponent, will be placed into an arena tailored to the combatants and they will be required to fight to the death. Any survivor of this trial will be allowed to rejoin Skyford Bootcamp.**
  9. **If an officer is selected as an opponent, then the previous law against harming them will be waived for the duration of the combat in regards to that particular officer.**
  10. **If someone is not killed during the Trial by Combat within 30 minutes then both parties will be executed for incompetence.**
  11. **However if the cadets vote incorrectly for the Traitor, then all of the cadets but the Traitor will be forced into Trial by Combat. Each cadet will be assigned an opponent outside of the other cadets for this situation.**
  12. **As a reward for successfully killing one of their comrades and fooling the others, the Traitor will immediately graduate Skyford Bootcamp and be allowed to leave for an area of their choice safely.**
  13. **After each trial, another platform of the Bootcamp will be opened to the cadets. Platforms open to the cadets will be marked with a flag waving in the center.**
  14. **Any attempts to enter a platform that has not been opened to the cadets is strictly forbidden, unless express permission is given by a superior officer.**
  15. **Laws may be added, removed or modified by the superior officers at any point.**



* * *

Nolan’s eyes widened. “Trial by combat? W-what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I have to admit this is unexpected. In most of the other known killing games the murderer was simply executed. The closest this comes to is the death game system in the Kuma Kuma Land incident,” the Ultimate SCP Researcher added.

“So what? This ain’t so bad! Any faggot that gets in the arena with me is gonna get fucked up!” Tyler said, the confidence coming back to his voice.

“Yes, I’m sure you would,” Anastasia replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

The Professional Inquisitor read the rules, a righteous fury building inside of him as he glared at Quackers.

“If you think that I will be a pawn in your satanic game, you are mistaken!” He shouted, drawing his gun and pointing it at the Sergeant. “In the name of the supreme pontiff of Rome I am ending this right now!”

“Agreed,” Cecelia added, drawing her gun as well. “As Commander of the RNN Peletier I will make sure that you despairs face justice!”

Nolan looked up at them, looking between the two nervously.

“Hey guys… Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean he can shock us anytime he wants.”

Pietro’s eyes narrowed. “If he tries to subdue us with these accursed devices, then the spasms the current would create would cause us to squeeze the trigger. He would be foolish to risk such a thing.”

“Woo! You can do it guys, I believe in you!” Latia called out mockingly, a wolfish grin plastered on her face.

Tala shot the Innovative Coffee Maker a dirty look, before striding towards the Sergeant, ready to pounce.

“Count me in too, a little shock ain't gonna stop me tearing this duck to shreds.”

Kiyoshi followed nervously behind her. “Tala, are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Don’t worry, Kiyo. I’m tougher than I look,” she replied confidently.

The Shaolin Warrior and the Mercenary both shifted into combat stances.

“I will not allow you to take the lives of the innocent,” he said, building up his chi.

Anastasia cracked her neck with an intense look on her face.

Dr Richards placed a hand on his flashlight.

Elizabeth gripped Nolan tightly.

“We’re not going to stand for your game, Quackers. Why don’t you just give up? You can’t take on all of us,” she said firmly.

Erick simply rolled his eyes dismissively, observing this entire event.

A dark look came over Quacker’s face.

**_“So, we have a mutiny on day one. Why am I not surprised? Well, before you commit to your suicide, perhaps I should show you why this is pointless.”_ **

Suddenly a loud rumbling began to emanate from the central platform as the doors on the front of it opened. Then from the door a giant figure slowly walked out, its metallic joints creaking and its feet creating massive clangs with each footstep. The figure was a giant Monokuma looking robot, about 10 feet tall and painted in a green military camo pattern. Its jaws were filled with large jagged teeth and its glass eyes were black and bottomless. In its right hand it carried a massive minigun and on its left arm, retracted for the moment, there appeared to be a large chainsaw. The entire body looked cobbled together and heavily modified, with metal plates, extra armaments and other additions littering its form. It groaned as it made its way forward onto the bridge connecting the platform the group was currently on to the central platform.

Behind him ten other figures followed, dressed in old fashioned British army uniforms, each with a bolt action rifle in their hands and a gas mask that covered their faces

The group’s resolve very quickly began to waver as they saw the horrific creature come into view.

“What the hell is that thing!?” Anastasia said, taking a step back.

Wolfgang’s face paled. “Those men. Why are they wearing equipment from the First World War? Who are they?”

Quackers grinned.

 ** _“That, my good soldier of fortune, is Lance Corporal Bearington. He will be helping me make sure that you all follow the laws of this camp.”_** He looked over to Wolfgang. **_“And those men are ghosts, nothing more.”_**

The men lifted their rifles and aimed them at the crowd, while the Mechanical horror lifted up its heavy minigun, its barrel beginning to spin quickly.

**_“Now, do you want to reconsider this rebellion of yours?”_ **

Pietro looked at the Sergeant, who was looking straight at him, smiling smugly. Gritting his teeth in frustration, the Cardinal holstered his gun. He was soon followed by Cecelia. One by one the cadets stood down, realising that they were outnumbered and outgunned.

Then as the tension in the air began to dissipate, each and everyone one of them was wracked with pain as their Field Guides shocked them. Some like Pietro, Yijun and Anastasia forced themselves to stand, while others like Kiyoshi, Janna and Nolan screamed as they writhed in pain.

**_“Consider that you one and only warning. Don’t cross me.”_ **

Joan stood, a blush on her face. Her breathing was heavy and laboured.

The Artisan snarled as she began to compose herself.

“Goddamn it. There was no need for that! Kiyo, lets… Kiyo?”

Tala paused as she saw that the Ultimate Voice Actor had begun to hyperventilate.

“I-I can’t do this,” he muttered to himself.

Quickly rushing to his feet he began to back away from the group.

The Artisan raised a hand, trying to calm him down. “Hey, calm down. It’s going to be-”

“Oh God! We’re all going to die!” Kiyoshi cried, grabbing his head and clawing at his own skull.

“Will you stop shouting, you fucking idiot,” Wolfgang snarled.

“You’re not helping!” Elizabeth snapped.

Quacker’s gaze shifted to the winged boy.

Janna cast a concerned glaze at Kiyoshi, forcing a smile.

“Err, Kiyoshi, was it? It's okay, maybe you should take a deep breath…”

“Help! HELP!” He shouted, running to one of the railings and screaming to the open sea. “SOMEONE HELP US!”

Then like a bullet the Sergeant appeared beside the Voice Actor and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground and over the railing.

 ** _“Are you refusing to fucking soldier!?”_** He growled, eyes glowing red.

The voice actor whimpered as he choked in the Sergeant's iron grip.

**_“I have no time for weak pieces of shit like you…”_ **

“Hey!” Tala shouted. “Let him go!”

Quackers looked at the Artisan, a dark grin on his face.

**_“With pleasure.”_ **

Quackers immediately let Kiyoshi go and sent him falling off the platform. The boy’s wings flapped helplessly and weakly as he tumbled in the air, before landing in the water below with a thunderous splash.

“Holy shit!” Tyler cried.

Katsumi ran to the railing, looking over the side.

“Hey! Are you okay down there!?” He called down to the boy.

Kiyoshi trashed and struggled in the water, barely keeping afloat in the sea’s rough tide.

“What do we do!?” Henriette said, running to the Fisherman’s side.

Katsumi looked around him, spotting a lifebuoy container a feet away from him

“Hang in there, buddy! I’ll be back in a sec!” He cried as he began to run in the container’s direction.

Tala looked over the edge. “Kiyo! Kiyo, you’ve got to calm down! Just focus on staying afloat, we’re gonna get you back on deck.”

“You need to get him on dry land. In these waters contracting hyperthermia is a real danger,” Cecelia added as she joined the gathering.

 ** _“Trust me, hyperthermia is the last thing he should be worrying about.”_** The Sergeant said, gazing down at the struggling Voice Actor.

“Bastard!” Tala spat. “What’s that supposed to mean!?”

The Artisan looked back over the edge of the railing, however this time she saw something in the water that had not been visible before.

Something moving towards the Voice Actor at a rapid pace

“Kiyo! There's something in the water!” She cried.

“W-what?” Kiyoshi muttered as he began to look around him. Slowly swimming towards him black shadows in the water began to make themselves visible.

A scream from below echoed to the platform as Katsumi reached the lifebuoy and opened the container. However, his hopes were dashed as the container was revealed to be empty.

“Goddamn it...” He growled, as he began to take off his shirt and hat and ran back towards the platform's edge.

“Ooooh, what’s going on?” Latia asked cheerfully as she made her way to the now gathered group, Tyler by her side.

The group saw that the shadows in the water were beginning to converge on the Voice Actor rapidly, with two of them about to grab him. The Voice Actor screamed and thrashed in terror as he began to feel tugging at his legs beneath him.

As the Fisherman made his way to them he suddenly drew his fishing knife.

He turned to the Shaolin Warrior. “Hey, Birdman. You can fly, can’t you?”

Yijun flexed his wings.

“I admit it is a skill that is new to me, but I am capable.”

“Okay, follow my lead. I’m gonna have to go in there and get him. Once Kiyo’s safe I’m going to need you to fly us back up to the deck,” the Fisherman said as he climbed onto the railing.

“Hang on you want me to what!?” Yijun tried to ask. However before he could receive an answer, the Fisherman had placed the knife between his teeth and dove into the water. 

As Kiyoshi registered the splash to his side, the figures that had been closing in on him finally burst out of the water’s surface and looked him straight in the eyes.

What appeared before him looked as if it had once been a man, however its eyes were wide, cloudy and fishlike. Its skin was a sickly green. Its head was completely bald of any hair and its neck was lined with gills. It opened its mouth, revealing long rows of razor sharp teeth as it hissed at the boy.

Then just as the creature was about to bite into its prey, the Fisherman plunged his knife straight into its skull. The creature went limp, sinking back into the depths below.

Katsumi wrapped an arm around the Voice Actor, swimming him away from the gathering creatures as he fended them off with his knife.

“I need you to keep calm, okay? We’re gonna get through this,” the Fisherman said as he slashed at another monster.

The Voice Actor hugged onto him tightly, his breathing still very unsteady.

Yijun flapped his wings as he took flight, descending to the two down in the water. One of the monsters leap out of the water and tried to latch onto the Monk. The Monk however intercepted it with a chi infused kick, sending the monster flying back into the sea with a crunch.

Katsumi pushed Kiyoshi up into Yijun’s hands, before latching himself onto the Monk’s side. The Monk quickly flapped his wings as he ascended slowly into the sky. 

The monsters began to swim towards the slowly ascending monk. Some of them began to leap into the air, one managing to grab his leg.

“Damnit!” Yijun shouted as he tried to shake the creature off. The creature began to crawl up his leg but before it could get any further a loud bang rang out as the creature’s head exploded and it fell into the water.

“Move, now!” Cecelia commanded, holding the still smoking gun in her hands.

Covered by the Naval Commander the Shaolin Monk slowly but surely made his way back to the platform’s surface. The Voice Actor and Fisherman landed on the platform with a thump.

“You’re a bloody mad man, fish boy!” Roman said.

Katsumi stood, wincing as he gripped his right shoulder.

“Couldn’t let him end up as fish bait, could I?” He responded with a slight chuckle.

Kiyoshi shivered in a fetal position. Tala kneeled down and embraced him.

“It’s okay, big sis is here…” She said, attempting to soothe him. 

**_“You can coddle him as much as you want, but if his encounter with our marine division is any indication then it's pretty clear the only thing he’ll be useful for is cannon fodder,”_** the Sergeant commented smugly.

The voice actor buried his head in Tala’s chest, while the Artisan barely suppressed her fury towards the Duck.

The Premier Engineer, who had been silent up to this point, spoke up. “Alright Quackers, you’ve made your point. So what comes next? Will you be throwing a motive our way?"

Quackers’s gaze shifted to him. **_“In this camp will not have motives. Instead you will each receive assignments as part of your training. Your first assignment will start tomorrow. For now if you look behind you, you will find that you have each been assigned a room in the barracks Private Grey, Private Levesque and Private Schwarz woke up in. Get comfortable and get to know your squad mates, as you will be living with each other for the foreseeable future.”_**

The Sergeant reformatted his hands, turning them back into wings. **_  
_**

**_“Until then, you are at ease.”_ **

As he finished he flapped his wings and took off, flying far away until he was out of sight behind the middle platform. The masked men disengaged their rifles and began to march into the central platform’s building. Lance Corporal Bearington however stood, watching them for a moment before his gun stopped spinning and he began to pace around the building in a patrol.

The Cardinal shook with anger, before slamming his fist into the nearby flagpole with a roar of frustration.

“This God-forsaken mess… I can't believe I'm part of this again! I swear by all that is Holy, I shall hunt down the ones behind this, and send them to hell myself!" He shouted, before storming off towards the barracks.

“Part of this again? What does that… you know what, never mind. What the fuck do we do now!?” Anastasia asked the others.

The Businesswoman cleared her throat.

“Well as much as I hate to admit this, it seems we can’t do much to get out of this at the moment. Quackers said that our first ‘assignment’ would be tomorrow so I think we should use the time we do have before that to explore what we can and try to get a better idea of what we’ve gotten ourselves into.”

“We’ve gotten ourselves into a killing game. I think that should be obvious to anyone with half a brain,” the Engineer commented.

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. “What’s with the attitude, you cheeky sod? If we’re going to get through this we need to at least try getting along.”

“Get along? _Tccht_ , you really think that’s going to happen? This will go the way every killing game does. Getting attached is just a liability, though seeing you seem to be obsessed with that little coward over there that lesson might be too late for you,” he motioned to Nolan “You can start with the whole power of friendship nonsense if you really want to, but leave me out of it.” He replied as he turned and walked away, following the Cardinal.

Tala growled as she glared at the boy. She looked back to Elizabeth, the Voice Actor still in her arms. “Don’t worry, that bastard was the same with us. Hopefully if the killing does start he’ll be the first to snuff it.”

“Now hang on let’s not get nasty,” Janna said. “I’m sure he’s just bad at expressing himself. I’m sure he’ll open up eventually!”

Joan shook as she hugged herself tightly.

“Oh rapturous ecstasy, please return to me…” She muttered softly

This earned her a few strange looks from the group.

“The fuck’s up with her?” Roman said, giving the Nun a sideways glance.

“She’s… probably just in shock.” Janna replied, noticeably unnerved.

The Naval Commander clicked her heels. “Now is no time to bicker! If we are going to survive this then we need to get organised. Just do as I tell you and we will get through this!”

“Now just hang on a minute there, love. I’m not taking orders from anyone!” Roman replied.

“Honestly I have to agree with the loudmouth. If anything you trying to take command makes you sound a lot like our captor, doesn’t it?” Wolfgang said suspiciously.

Cecelia’s eyes flared with outrage. “How dare you! Are you accusing me of working with the enemy!?”

“Please… please stop fighting,” Kiyoshi muttered.

“Enough! I know everyone is stressed out from what has just transpired, but now is not the time to argue. I believe that we should get settled in our surroundings and wait until we have cleared our minds before we even attempt to discuss any important topics,” Yijun said.

Henriette took a deep breath. “I think that might be the wisest decision.”

“Agreed.” Katsumi said, hissing in pain as he rubbed his shoulder. “I really need to lay down, that encounter really did my shoulder in.”

“Oh of course. Such a brave man as yourself needs your rest.” She turned to the Treasure Hunter. “Roman, could you be a dear and help Katsumi get into his room with me? We don’t want him over exerting himself.”

Roman rolled his eyes, before forcing a smile. “Why of course. I’ll always help out a bloke in need or my name isn’t Roman Callum Pearce!”

Janna’s face dropped as she heard the name being said.

“How delightful! To be surrounded by such strong helpful men, just what a lady needs!” The Flutist chirped happily as she and the two boys made their way into the barracks.

“Callum Pearce...?” The Gemologist muttered to herself as her face turned pale.

“Are-are you okay?” Nolan asked as he walked up to her.

Janna shook her head and smiled at the boy. “Oh I’m fine. It's probably nothing…”

Tyler donned a cocky grin.

“Well what the fuck are we waiting for!? I’m gonna get the best room and leave all of you motherfuckers in the dirt!” He said as he ran off.

Latia grinned. “Oh this is going to be _fun_.” She said to herself as she walked off as well.

Kiyoshi looked up at Tala, his breathing only just starting to relax.

“Tala… we’re going to be okay, aren’t we?”

Tala flashed him a toothy smile. “Yeah. You stick with me, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

As the group slowly began to disperse one thing soon began very clear. There was no escape from this bootcamp of nightmares.

* * *

Author’s Note: A big thanks to StoryProducer214 and MudkipOfDespair for being my beta readers for this chapter.

Also the “Cadets remain” count being missing is not a mistake. I have decided that their will only be counts at the end of each trial as to avoid spoiling the amount of deaths each arc. I think it will make the fic feel more like the games.

* * *

Review section:

Doomqwer: Dr Richards is going to have a nightmare securing this containment breach!

MudkipOfDespair: Great to hear. 

Sparten2121: Yes, and hopefully things will only get more interesting from here.

Bellatrixshine: But Tyler is such a pure, innocent angel!

1Glimmershine: Thanks! I was a little unsure about how I wrote Yijun at first so I’m glad ‘m doing a good job so far.

Trygve11: You can’t have Danganronpa without a few assholes!

Crit Fail: Cheers mate! I tried to make the cast as diverse as I could. It would be boring if everyone was the same.

The Celestial Sky Dragon: I thought you’d like that little reference to Peletier.

Mikq: It’s right here!


	4. Settling in

**11:30 A.M Day One**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

The barracks had become a hive of activity in the aftermath of Sergeant Quacker’s first appearance, as the cadets tried to collect themselves and find where they would be sleeping for the foreseeable future. While some had split off from the group to look at the other parts of the base, most were here, inspecting their new rooms.

Yijun took a deep breath as he finally found the door that now had his name attached to it. Fearing the worst, he placed his wrist attached Field Guide against the electronic lock on the door and it slowly and cautiously.

Luckily for him his fears were unfounded as the room turned out to be a very basic in layout and equipment; one bed, one table and one chair were the only furniture that seemed to be provided.

“It seems that our captor has decided only to provide us with the bare essentials. What about you, Ms Diaseva?” He asked as turned back to the hallway.

The Ultimate Gemologist smiled happily as she pulled her head back from her open door frame.

“Oh I think it's perfectly fine! We just need to think of this like some kind of camping trip and try to have lots of fun!” She replied cheerfully. “And please call me Jenny, there’s no need to be so formal.”

The Monk nodded as Henriette and Roman finally exited the door labeled for Katsumi, before shutting it behind her.

Elizabeth stretched her back as she leaned against the closed door to her room.

“So how is our hero of the hour doing?” She asked.

“Katsumi is still in pain but he’s finally getting some rest,” Henriette replied as she turned to the Treasure Hunter. “Thank you so much, you are quite the gentleman.”

Roman rolled his eyes dismissively before forcing a tiny half smile.

“Yeah sure, whatever you say love. Listen as much as I’d love to stay and chat I’m bloody hungry so I’ll catch you lot later,” he said as his dropped the smile completely before quickly leaving the building.

“Well he’s certainly charming, isn’t he?” The Businesswoman commented sarcastically as she crossed her arms under her bust.

“Oh I completely agree. While he may have been a ruffian when we first awakened, I just know that under that rugged exterior there is a true gentleman to be found.” The flutist replied confidently.

“You’re so lucky to have two strong men in your life! It’s a fairytale with two knights in shining armor!” Janna added.

Elizabeth shot Yijun a bemused and doubtful glance, to which he merely suppressed a grin and cleared his throat.

“Whatever the case, it seems that the mastermind has certainly us in such a way as to facilitate tension. While I believe most of us are no immediate concern, I can see us having issues dealing with Latia, Tyler and Erick.”

“Well, from what I can see Tyler is just an immature little shit, but I have no idea what Erick’s problem is.” Elizabeth replied, frowning at the memory of her first encounter with the Engineer.

“Das ist eine verdammte Empörung!” Wolfgang shouted as he burst out of his room, startling the others. “Does that _flachwichser_ think that he can treat me like this!?”

“What’s wrong, Wolfy? Is there something wrong with your room?” Janna asked with some hesitation.

The Saxophonist glared at her.

“You will refer to me by my proper name, _girl_. And secondly, yes, there is a problem with my room. Not only have they not returned my instrument to me, the only thing in there is a bed with no sheets or covers. There isn’t even any furniture!”

Yijun narrowed his eyes. “Well it seems that not all of us have been tended to equally. No doubt to cause strife within our ranks.”

Wolfgang took in a deep breath before composing himself.

“Whatever the case, one of noble blood such as I should not be forced to live in such conditions. It is simply below my station.”

The Businesswoman raised an eyebrow.

“You're royalty? I thought Germany was a republic.”

Wolfgang waved dismissively.

“The masses of my Fatherland may have foolishly done away with the Kaiser, but blood such as mine does not wash away so easily. One day they will see their mistake for what it is and reinstate our titles. After the Tragedy, it is only a matter of time before they see the need for our guidance.”

Henriette’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You’re of noble birth? My word, we have so much to discuss! I assumed that only Versailles Academy had students of such high station.”

The Saxophonist grinned.

“Ah yes, as an Elite, you must be from Versailles Academy. Indeed I would be happy to discuss with you the history of my family lineage.” His expression soured. “But before any of that, the matter of my living arrangements needs to be addressed.”

Janna shyly brushed the back of her head as she looked back at Wolfgang.

“Well I think it's true that the rooms haven’t been stocked equally. I mean my room seems to have some kind of minifridge in it, and a kettle, and two chairs... and a bookshelf. I’m going to guess you guys didn’t get that much.” She said bashfully.

The others looked at her in disbelief.

“Good lord, you got lucky.” The Businesswoman commented.

Wolfgang’s eyes flared with fury for a moment, before he quickly suppressed it.

“Well it's settled then. Janna, I am going to require you to give me the things I lack for my room. While it is not what I am accustomed to, it will suffice for now.”

“Now hold on there, Wolfgang, you have no right to demand that of her! She shouldn’t have to suffer for your misfortune.” The Monk declared in an outraged tone.

“W-wait a moment, it’s okay.” Gemologist muttered reassuringly.

“Hang on, Jenny, are you sure? We don’t know if these rooms have heating so you could get quite cold tonight if you don’t have any bedding.” Elizabeth asked.

“No seriously, it's fine. If there’s any way that I can help someone else out then I will do everything I can. It's no problem!” Janna replied with a bright smile.

The Saxophonist smiled as he walked up next to her.

“Now that’s a far more respectful tone. Now if what you are saying is true then would you be so kind as to help bring the items back into my room? It would make my life a lot easier.”

“Oh I’d be happy too! What can I help you with first?”

“I think we’ll start with the chairs, I really need to sit down after the events of this morning.” Wolfgang replied as they both entered her room, the door shutting behind the two.

The Monk glared at the door, before looking at the other two girls in the hallway.

“This doesn't feel right. I think he’s taking advantage of her good nature.” He stated.

Henriette fiddled with her flute awkwardly. “Well, she did agree to do it of her own free will. If she really just wants to help him out then I don’t think there’s much of a problem, right?”

“Well for now we can only hope that’s the end of it, but I’ve seen enough guys in my line of work to know that’s doubtful,” Elizabeth replied with a scowl.

* * *

**12:15 P.M Day One**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Mess Hall**

The Ultimate Mercenary stretched her arms as she walked into the mess hall. She paused for a moment as she took note of noises coming from the kitchen. Preparing herself for the worst, she snuck quietly through the mess hall and through the barrier that separated the dining area from the kitchen. However as she closed in on the source of the noise, she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that it only Nolan, who seemed to be looking around for something.

"Hey kid, what's up?" She asked, cracking a smile

“Ah!” Nolan squeaked, jumping slightly as he whipped around to face Anastasia. “O-oh, hello!” He responded shyly, looking at the ground and shuffling his feet. “Sorry if I was making too much noise, I was just looking for some ice.”

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "Ice...? Oh hang on a minute, you're Nolan, aren't you? The Field Guide said you have something to do with ice." She said, quickly flicking on her wrist mounted pad and checking it again.

“R-right!” The boy squeaked out, his eyes darting around the room nervously. “I-I’m the Ultimate Ice Sculptor... and I enjoy making sculptures in my spare time when I’m bored or nervous.”

"Ultimate Ice Sculptor? Fuck man, you really got unlucky getting wound up in this game. At least I have some kind of experience with this soldier shit." Anastasia said as she opened one of the fridges and looked inside

“Yeah, I guess I did.” Nolan sighed dejectedly as he went back to looking around. “U-Um, you’re the Ultimate Mercenary, right? Are you gonna kill anyone?” He stuttered out nervously.

Anastasia poked her head out as she retrieved a bottle of milk from the fridge door. "Kid, I'm a Mercenary for a reason. I only kill when the pay is high enough." She replied as she began to take a few massive gulps.

“I see...” The Ice Sculptor muttered, eventually finding what he wanted as he produced a few bags of ice. “Hm, not quite what I was hoping for, but it’ll do. I can sculpt a decent figurine out of these!” He mused, visibly excited.

The girl finished the bottle, chucking it in the bin. "Well that helped get the taste of that bitch's coffee out of my mouth." She muttered, shaking her head. "So what kind of figures do you make then? I've never been one for high art."

“Oh, well, I make whatever I find is beautiful or interesting!” The blue eyed boy explained with a smile, clearly happy to discuss his talent. “It just turns out that people like what I make. But I usually like to make people! Um, I was thinking about crafting one of Elizabeth. She’s been very nice to me, and I want to repay her.” Nolan explained nervously, trailing off.

"Ah, yes. The girl with the hat and the sexy English accent. Good taste! Her boobs are nearly as big as mine!" She said, adjusting her bust with a toothy grin.

“R-Right...” Nolan stammered, once again shying away and pulling the brim of his cap down to shield his beet red face, clearly uncomfortable. “But she’s actually nice though...” The brown haired boy mumbled under his breath.

Anastasia laughed. "Oh relax, I'm just messing with ya!" 

"Did I hear something about boobs!?" The voice of Roman suddenly called as he walked into the kitchen as well. 

"What's going on here then?" He asked. 

Anastasia rolled her eyes. "Oh I was just getting a drink. What've you been up to?" 

The Treasurer Hunter groaned. "Oh God! Her royal highness made me help fish boy out of his wet clothes because apparently his arm's fucked at the moment." He shuddered.

The Ice Sculptor frowned, clearly upset upon hearing Roman’s whining. “A-At least try to show a little compassion!” He protested, furrowing his brows. “All of our lives are at stake!”

Roman cast a glance at the smaller boy. "I come in looking for some food and I get an earful? Listen you cheeky little shit, I've got compassion coming out my ears and asshole. I just shouldn't have to strip another bloke down like some batty boy!" He looked at the bags of ice in his hands. "And what the fuck's that all for? You gonna fuck a snowman or something?"

Nolan visibly flinched, recoiling and hugging the bags of ice close to himself. “T-That’s none of your business!” He squeaked out, trying (and very much failing) to sound intimidating. “Wait, I mean... n-no! It’s a part of my talent!” He replied weakly.

"Dude, stop it." The Mercenary said firmly to Roman. "Let's not start arguing. That's just what Quackers wants us to do."

Roman glared at the Ice Sculptor once more before sighing. "Yeah, I'm not going to give that prick the satisfaction. You know if he didn't have these things on our wrists I would have kicked his arse all the way across the ocean! I've dealt with worse than him on my travels." He boasted with a cocky grin, pointing a thumb to his chest.

“O-oh, you’ve travelled the world?” Nolan inquired, once again interested. “I have too! Um, I’m from Canada, and I’ve been to parts of America and most of Europe. What about you?” He asked nervously, trying to make conversation.

The Treasurer Hunter grinned brightly, completely losing any of his previous annoyance. "Why I, the one and only Roman Callum Pearce have travelled the world, my son! Born in London and raised in the school of life I've plundered more tombs and been in more beds than you can shake a stick at!" He announced as if he had known it all by heart.

"Why I remember this one time in the jungles of Brazil I entered this ancient tomb that was filled with flesh eating cannibals, unknown to the outside world. I went in and got the golden idol, but it was a trap and I fell into a pit! I thought for sure that my knob would end up English bratwurst, but using my great strength I climbed my way out on the rocks and ran out of there before they could even get the barbeque lit!"

Anastasia whistled. "Wow, dude. Sounds like you've got quite the stories. I've got a few myself, I'll have to tell you guys again at some point."

“Wow! That’s pretty cool!” The blue eyed boy said with wonder, stars in his eyes. “Um, if you all want to hear them, I have some cool stories too! I’ve been everywhere from the southern US all the way to Novoselic!”

Roman looked at them both. "You know what? You guys might be cooler than I thought, far cooler than miss stick up her ass... But enough of that, I wonder who’s gonna cook the food? I don't know how this normally works but don't the despairs or whoever normally do it? Cause I ain't cooking for eighteen people and I'm fucking starving."

“Um, actually, I’m a decent cook, especially when it comes to fire and warm foods!” The Ice Sculptor piped up. Upon seeing the slightly shocked looks the other two gave him, he blushed and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. 

“Surprised a guy who deals with ice likes warm food? I admit it’s strange, but trust me. I can whip up something decent if you two would like?” He offered.

Anastasia thought for a moment. "Yeah but I think you could do with some help, maybe someone else among us can give you a hand. Just don't look at me, most I can cook are field rations."

"Well we better get something sorted out, because I ain't drinking my own piss again." The Treasure Hunter said, cringing at the memory.

* * *

**13:00 P.M Day One**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

The Ultimate Inquisitor walked slowly around the perimeter of the platform as he examined his surroundings and the military equipment that was littered around. However, so far he had not had much luck finding anything currently useful.

Taking a deep breath, he muttered a short prayer before noticing that he was no longer alone.

"Are you okay, Cardinal? We haven't seen you for hours." Cecelia suddenly said from behind him. At her side, the Ultimate Nun stood, stoic as usual.

Pietro glanced over at the two of them, before returning to his attention to the platform at large. “I’m utterly _livid_ at the current circumstances, but other than that, I am fine. I was walking along the perimeter, checking the platform and equipment for any weaknesses or potential avenues of escape. I’ve yet to find any, however.”

The Naval Commander gazed around the area, her eyes drawn to the large mechanical monstrosity that patrolled the central platform. "I understand. My ship and the crew inside of it are missing and we have been forced into some sick killing game by the ones that destroyed my country."

She sighed. "Joan was the one who wanted to look for you, she seemed concerned about your wellbeing."

The Nun's gaze rose to meet Pietro's.

"I can tell that this situation is causing you great pain, Father. I hate to see that in another. Is it frustration, or a feeling of helplessness?" She said flatly.

Pietro glanced over at Joan, his face softening a little before he looked away again. “I...suppose it is a mixture of both. I can’t help but feel that way: really, I imagine that’s how most of us feel. Still...I’ve been through this once already, and came out the other end. I shall endeavour to do the same for this game as well. I have sworn to fulfil the vision of the Pope and the Catholic Church, and that is a vow I do not intend to break.”

Cecelia's eyes widened for a moment. "Yes, I believe you said something about being 'part of this again'. Am I to take it that you have been part of a killing game before?"

“Yes,” Pietro replied, giving a slight nod. He considered his words carefully, before elaborating. “I was one of four survivors from the two Killing Games that ultimately destroyed the _Accademia di Firenze delle arti professionali_ in Florence. Half of our school went through the game that took place in the academy itself, while the other half went through the game at the museum. Four of us, myself included, survived the game in the academy, but there were no survivors from the museum. It feels like a lifetime ago...and in fact, I was a very different man back then. It matters little now, but before I was the Professional Inquisitor...I was once known as the Professional Chef.”

"You joined the church to find meaning in your life. Didn't you?" Joan paused. "I understand that feeling."

A look of surprise flashed across Pietro’s face before he gave another nod. “Yes, you’re right. I was...lost, and without purpose after I left Florence. It was Pope Leo who gave me a new direction in life. He led me back to Christ, and together we vowed to rebuild the Catholic Church and bring order to Italy.”

"So you were part of the establishment of the Holy Italian Republic?" The Naval Commander asked. "You must be quite the soldier. I heard they annexed what was once Israel not too long ago."

“That I am. I’m not a Cardinal-Major for nothing,” Pietro replied, a faint smirk on his lips. “And yes, we did. I’ve done my best to lead the Order of the Inquisitorial Knights wherever the Pope needs us. I’ve battled Despair fanatics, religious terrorists, criminal underlings, and everything in between to secure and protect the borders of Rome.”

Cecelia grinned. "Well with your help we might just be able to stop this game before anyone gets hurt. If we could just organise ourselves we would be able to make a plan on how to tackle this situation, but with many of our members being... less than cooperative I fear that may be difficult."

Pietro sighed, crossing his arms as he adopted a more thoughtful look. “Yes, therein lies our problem. A unit can only work well if the people within it are cooperative and willing. It doesn’t matter what plans we make: if there’s a single person in our group who is rebellious or untrustworthy, it could put the whole plan into jeopardy. Still, I suppose it could always be worse. At least there aren’t any Muslims or Jews in our party.”

The Naval Commander stared awkwardly at the man for a moment, before quickly suppressing it. "Yes, I suppose that's true..." She replied.

"Perhaps we should try and organise a meeting with the others? With the Lord on our side I believe we can overcome the evil ahead of us." Joan added

Pietro smiled earnestly at Joan, nodding happily at her words. “Yes, I suppose we may as well try Sister. Hopefully there are not too many sinners and heretics present within our group...such lack of Faith will no doubt prove detrimental in the long run. Regardless, I think a group meeting is a sound idea. I shall pray long and hard tonight for our success. Perhaps the Lord will show us mercy, if we are deserving of it. If nothing else, we may be able to gauge how well the idea of group cooperation and unity will go over.”

Cecelia rubbed her chin. "Well hopefully they will see reason. I only hope that we can get some kind of order established before the first so called 'assignment' is thrown at us..."

* * *

**14:00 P.M Day One**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Barricks**

The Ultimate Voice Actor lay back on the sofa as he slowly recovered from the incidents earlier that day. He currently sat on one of the sofas in the barracks lounge, a relatively Spartan affair, which contained a few seats, a coffee table and a TV at the back of the room that was currently switched off. To the side there was a little mini kitchen, with cabinets that contained various supplies of coffee and tea, as well as a small fridge for things such as milk and sugar.

“Ah, man this so fucking BORING!” Tyler's voice suddenly rang out as he made his way into the room. Suddenly noticing the TV he ran up to it and began to look it over. To his visible confusion he couldn't seem to find the button to switch it on. Growling in frustration, it was only then that he noticed the older boy sat in the chair. 

“What the fuck are you looking at?” He asked in an accusatory tone.

“H-Huh? But, I wasn’t even looking at you weird... was I?” Kiyoshi stammered as he saw Tyler looking angrily at him.

"Well you're still wearing those stupid wings on your back, so yeah it is fucking weird." Tyler replied.

“What? But... I love my wings! And anyway, they’re part of me! I can’t just take them off and store them away!” Kiyoshi explained in a slightly aggravated tone.

The Ace Battle Royale Player stared at him awkwardly for a moment. "Oh Jesus, you're a furry like that monk bitch, aren't you? Why'd I have to end up surrounded by a bunch of weirdos?"

He shook his head. "Whatever, how the fuck do you turn this thing on? You got the remote or something?"

Kiyoshi muttered a few words and took a deep breath before speaking clearly again. “The TV remote? I know I saw it,” he replied as he looked around. He eventually noticed it wedged down the side of the sofa. “Oh, here it is.”

Tyler grinned, snatching the remote from Kiyoshi's hand before sitting down beside him. "This duck better have Netflix." He muttered as he pressed the power button.

Immediately the TV switched on, but the programing was anything but standard. The program playing was of soldiers wearing Monokuma masks marching up and down a marching square as the music to The Liberty Bell played. Tyler tried to switch channels, but every channel had the same program playing, causing him to grow more and more annoyed.

“Man, what _is_ this anyway? I wish there was some anime or cartoons or something,” Kiyoshi complained.

"I wish I had my Xbox or something, and not this fucking gay shit." Tyler spat before turning it off.

Kiyoshi’s face lit up. “Oh, my last voice acting role was for an Xbox game! Fortnite! D’you play that?”

Tyler's face shifted from annoyance to utter disbelief as he slowly faced him. "Get the fuck out... _You_ voiced in Fortnite?

Kiyoshi grinned at Tyler’s amazed reaction. “Yeah, I sure did, it was so much fun! I had no idea it was gonna get so popular!”

The Battle Royale Player's eyes lit up. "Dude, that's fucking awesome!" He said excitedly, before quickly restraining himself to a cocky grin. "And do I play it?! Bitch, I ain't the Ace Battle Royale Player for nothing! Just ask any of the other Ace's stuck on this shithole."

“You’re the Ace Battle Royale Player! Wow, you’re an absolute beast at Fortnite, then. I do play battle royale games sometimes. I’m not great at them though. You’d completely crush me,” Kiyoshi replied happily.

"You bet your ass I would! Before waking up to Lala grinning in my face, my plan was that I was gonna enter a tournament to pass my next year and rumour was that Chiaki was gonna to be in it. I gotta get out of here so I can kick her ass. Ultimate Gamer? She won't be after a chug jug followed by a 360 no scope." Tyler responded.

“Huh? ...Oh. Oh, right.” Kiyoshi’s face fell as he cupped his chin in his hands. “I forgot for a moment that we were trapped here... but...that’s our reality...”

Tyler grinned. "You know, this whole setup they got is pretty cool, with the robot bird and all. I'm just waiting for this stupid joke to be over."

Kiyoshi’s jaw dropped. His right eye twitched slightly. “Do you... do you really think this is all a joke? Some production?”

The boy rolled his eyes. “Oh don’t give me that stupid look, of course this whole thing is bullshit. It’s probably some kind of YouTube prank show. I mean you honestly think we’d end up in a killing game?! Man I can’t wait to get out of here, I’m gonna get so many views on twitch I’ll beat Ninja!”

There was a moment of silence as Kiyoshi breathed heavily. His face turned red as he stood up.

“Prank show? Views? That duck grabbed me by the neck! He threw me into the water! I was nearly _eaten_ by whatever was in there! I feared for my life! I was so scared I almost drowned! Was that a _joke_ to you?!”

Tyler was taken aback for a moment as his eyes shifted around nervously, before he suppressed it with a scowl and jumped off the sofa. “Oh so you’re fucking in on it too, aren’t you? I bet you ain’t even in fucking Fortnite you lying sack of shit!”

Kiyoshi let out a cry of frustration. “I’m in on it? I’m a liar, _and_ a faker! For goodness’ sake, what even am I to you?! I thought we were gonna be friends...” he said as he forced his eyes away from Tyler’s.

"I don't need to be friends with some grown up cocksucker like you!" Tyler shouted as he threw the remote at him. Looking like he was on the verge of tears he stormed out as quickly as he had entered.

Kiyoshi stood there looking at the doorway for a few seconds, before he shakily sat himself down on the sofa and buried his face in his hands. “I went and did it again... He’s just a kid, he can’t face it... Tyler, I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

* * *

**16:45 P.M**

**Day One**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

The Ace Artisan stretched her arms as she made her way out of the barracks and towards one of the platform railings. As the sea breeze caressed her skin she began to exercise, stretching her limbs and doing pullups on some of the pipes that hung overhead. Her toned body worked like a well oiled machine as she worked up a sweat, enjoying the feeling of the sea's breeze on her skin.

"I see you're keeping active. Good, can't have us getting stagnated, can we? Not in our current predicament anyway..." Dr Richards mused as he began to walk up to her, watching her every move intently.

The bronze skinned girl offered a toothy grin as she continued her routine effortlessly as she regarded the man out of the corner of her eyes.

"Heh, you've got that right. I'd go stir crazy if I just sat around all the time. Besides, it is good to be in tip top shape right? There's no telling what that demented duck has in store for us..."

"Yes the mallard seems truly unpredictable, well as unpredictable as an agent of despair can be anyway," He responded as he cleaned the face of his flashlight with the front of his lab coat.

"So has the humanoid avian entity resumed his normal mental state? Our captor's actions clearly put a great amount of stress on his mind."

Tala merely shrugged as she pulled herself up once more before allowing herself to land on the deck. She popped her neck a couple of times before turning as she fiddled with the bone pendant resting around her neck.

"Hm, it's hard to say. Everyone carries stress differently ya know? I'm going to keep a close eye nonetheless. I'd hate to see him do something stupid and hurt himself or anyone else."

The SCP Researcher fiddled around with the flashlight in his hand as his eyes darted across his surroundings in a seemingly random way.

"Empathy? That's good to see. We will need that to keep group cohesion. In fact I've been waiting for an opportunity to catch you on your own. Quacker’s mentioned something during the initial meeting that I feel needs to be addressed without causing too much panic amongst the others.”

The girl's nose twitched ever so slightly as she scrutinized the Researcher intently. "...Well we seem to be alone. What's on your mind?" she questioned in an emotionless tone.

"Well to put it simply, while our captors have clearly access to anomalous entities given the two bird humanoids amongst us, I never thought I'd meet a member of SCP-2547 outside of their containment area..." He said as his eyes focused his gaze on her.

Tala scratched at her ear with a slightly bemused expression.

"That's a new way to describe what I am. I'm used to simply hearing werewolf, lycanthrope, or simply monster. I've never been in some sort of cell, not unless you consider a Native American reservation, a containment area. Which I guess wouldn't be an unfair comparison. Let me guess, you're worried about that causing a stir with everyone right?"

Dr Richards allowed a small smirk.

"Good, you’re being cooperative. I assumed as much, but these things can be unpredictable." He mused as he placed the flashlight back in his pocket. "And yes you are correct. As you must be aware if word got out amongst the others that you were indeed, as the masses call it, a 'werewolf'... Well I doubt some of us would take too kindly to that news."

The Artisan thrust out her chest before offering a grin in return. "Don't worry Doc. I'm not looking to stir the pot. If everyone knew, someone would either cause a panic or try and target me. Either way, things would probably end bloody. Some secrets are important to keep."

The Researcher licked his lips.

"Sounds like a good slogan for the foundation... Anyway that may not end up being your choice. Remember, we still don't know what the date is, for all we know the full moon could be 28 days away or it could be tonight. While I doubt Ultimate Despair would place you here to murder us all on the first day in some sort of type five blood frenzy, you never know what the temperament of the mastermind is going to be."

"If that's their strategy it's a pretty poor one," Tala responded with a shrug. "A trained huntress can feel when the full moon is approaching. Call it a sixth sense if you will. It doesn't matter what the date is, they won't be able to catch me off guard in that way. If and when that arrives, perhaps you can use your expertise and make sure that I'm secured or drugged for the night of the full moon."

Dr Richards stroked his chin. "Well if that's the case we have some time. Good, if you were to undergo a transformation event tonight, given the lack of tools on this platform our best bet would be to push you into the water and hope the creatures below dealing with you didn't count as a murder... But either way I hope it doesn't come to that, I'm going to need all the help I can get cleaning up this mess. This entire game is just one massive containment breach waiting to happen."

The Werewolf cast a glance over the balcony of the rig. "Hm, there's no telling what else might reside here. We may have only seen the tip of the iceberg. If that is the case, we have more to worry about than just murder..."

* * *

**Author’s note**

A big thanks to Parafin, Crit Fail, JCW18 and Magus1108 for helping me write this chapter and MudkipOfDespair and StoryProducer214 for being my betas.

* * *

**Review section**

Trygve11: We’ll just have to see who’s the first to go, won’t we?

Bellatrixshine: I’m sure more bad things will come his way (along with everyone else).

JCW18: Cheers mate! Also thanks for helping write Nolan, he’s such a cutie!

Magus1108: Quackers is best duck and thanks for helping play Pietro.

Sparten2121: With more FTEs on the way!


	5. Calm before the storm

**17:30 P.M Day One**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Radio Tower**

The setting sun across the sea glowed a brilliant orange as the Premier Engineer made his way back into the radio tower. Performing a quick search of the area that he had first awoken inside, he soon found a records room located in the middle of the tower. It was a smallish area, containing a few filing cabinets and binders that lay to the side piled up neatly.

Quickly glancing behind him, he opened one of the cabinets and began to rifle through it. Pulling out a few of them, he quickly placed them on one of the tables, pulled up and chair and began to read through them.

Little did he know that from behind a wall next to the door he had entered, the Ultimate Innovative Coffee Maker lie in wait as she quickly peeked her head into the room, a sly grin on her face.

A few moments passed and soon Erick felt a presence near him. As he looked to his side he was greeted with the sight of Latia’s manic smile and wide eyed stare, looking directly at him.

“Whatcha reading?” She asked him sweetly.

Erick quickly shut the file that he was reading and glared at her.

“That’s none of your concern, you cretin. Now I didn’t ask for you to come here so do me a favor and go bother someone else.” He replied dismissively.

The Coffee Maker rubbed her chin in thought for a moment, before responding with a simple; “Nah, don’t feel like it!” Her eyes drifted to the files that he had collected. “What are you up to anyway? Planning on murdering one of us?”

“No, but if you don’t piss off right now then I will be sorely tempted.” He replied.

Latia giggled. “You’re a funny guy, you know that? Anyway it's not like I just came here to piss you off, I came to tell you that those assholes down there are trying to set up a meeting and get organised. I think they said it was going on in about half an hour. Can you believe that!?”

The Engineer’s brow furrowed. “A meeting? _Tccht_. Do those idiots really think they’ll accomplish anything? It didn’t in any of the other games.”

Latia closed her zipper and shrugged her shoulders.

“Oh absolutely… but you just know it's gonna be fun to watch! All that juicy drama, people turning on each other, not knowing who’s gonna stick a knife in your back? I wouldn’t miss it for the world! You’ve gotta come, your commentary would be priceless!” She squealed excitedly.

Erick paused, looking at her intently.

“Well I suppose I might go, if for no other reason than to confirm my assumptions, but probably not. I have more important things to attend to than a squabbling mass with far lower intellects than I.” He replied bluntly, before turning us attention back to the files. “Now if that’s all you have to tell me, would you kindly fuck off? I’m not here for your sick amusement.”

The girl pouted as she took out a sealed flask from her knapsack.

“Aww… you’ve just gotta come. I’m even going to make coffee for everyone to show my support.” Her mood shifted back to her perky self. “Oh well, I’ll make yours to go!”

“What do you mean by-” He tried to ask before he felt the back of his shirt suddenly being pulled open and an ice cold liquid mixed with ice cubes suddenly get poured down his back. The boy jumped out of his seat with a start, yelling in pain as the freezing cold brew stung into his back like daggers and stained both the back of his shirt and jeans.

The Coffee Maker burst out laughing. “What’s the matter!? Don’t like my extra-large iced cappuccino!? That’s normally a customer favourite!”

The girl’s laughing was very quickly silenced as she suddenly felt the boy’s fist connect with her jaw, sending her flying back and crashing into some of the tables and chairs behind her. As she looked up from her position on the floor, covered in furniture, she saw the Erick quickly gather up the files and binders that he had been reading earlier and stuff them under his arm.

“Looks like I’m going to have to go back to my room for some peace and quiet. Try anything like that again and I promise you, you won’t get back up from the second hit.” He spat angrily before quickly turning tail and walking out of the room and back down the stairs.

The Coffee Maker unzipped her mask and spat a glob of blood onto the floor, before licking the blood from her lips with a savage grin.

“Oh I like you, Erick. You’ve got some fight in you. Watching you break is going to be a treat…”

* * *

**18:00 P.M Day One**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Mess Hall**

“Firstly I’d like to thank everyone that decided to attend this meeting on such short notice.” Cecelia said as she observed the gathered cadets that sat at various tables in the room. “I know that the events of today have been very distressing and I know a lot of you are scared. That is why Cardinal Lombardi and I decided to organise this gathering so that we could properly discuss how we plan to survive this situation.”

“I’ve got a better question that needs to be discussed, love! Who the fuck’s gonna cook my dinner!?” The Treasure Hunter cried out.

Henriette frowned at the boy. “Roman! Where are your manners?” She looked back at the Naval Commander and Inquisitor. “I’m sorry about that, I’m still trying to teach him basic manners. But I will admit he does have a point. How do we plan on feeding ourselves? It seems that Quackers has no intention to cook for us.”

Nolan looked from side to side, before he nervously raised his right hand.

“Err… I don’t know if I can be of any help, but I’ve been told I can cook a decent meal. I can try to cook something for you guys if you need me too.”

“That’s very nice of you, mate,” Elizabeth said, crossing her legs. “But are you going to be able to handle cooking for all 18 of us?

“That won’t be necessary.” Pietro suddenly said. “Some of you already know this but for those of you that don’t; before I was the Professional Inquisitor, I was the Professional Chef. While it has been a while since I put my cooking skills back to the test, I believe that with that boy’s help I can make sure we are all fed.”

Cecelia nodded.

“Well, it seems that issue is settled then. Now, getting back to the topic I was trying to discuss; in order for us to make it through this game unharmed we are going to have to get organised. That way we can work as an effective unit against these despairs.” She added.

“And who would run this unit? You?” Wolfgang asked.

The Naval Commander faced him, staring at him intently.

“It would be a joint leadership involving myself and the reverend. As we have the most experience leading others, it is plainly obvious that we are the most qualified.”

“So like before this is just an excuse for you to assert your authority over us? How delightful,” the Saxophonist replied sarcastically.

The Ultimate Mercenary took a drag on her cigarette.

“I don’t know if you got the memo _commander_ , but I don’t take orders for free. So you can fuck right off with trying to boss us around.”

“Yeah, fuck you guys! I ain’t taking orders from nobody!” Tyler shouted.

“Gotta say I agree. Trying to get us working like some kind of army? You sound like that duck cunt, Quackers.” Roman added.

Pietro slammed his fist into the table in front of him.

“Do you all want to die!? Staying divided is what caused the other games to turn into bloodbaths. I will not let that happen, not again!” He took a step back and sighed. “Unlike most of you I have had experience with these games before. Most of us died and it cost me my arm.”

Suddenly the Inquisitor gripped his left sleeve and pulled it back, revealing that his entire left arm was robotic and made of metal. The sight of the artificial limb caused a collection of gasps and worried looks to emanate from the audience.

Janna’s eyes widened. “Oh my goodness… What happened to you?”

Pietro quickly pulled his sleeve back down.

“During my game I was the target of an attempted murder. The details don’t matter, but I would have died if it were not for the actions for my classmates. That is why I know that working together is necessary to survive”

There was a moment of silence in the room as the cadets thought about what had just been said, before it was suddenly interrupted as Latia burst into the room, holding a tray of coffees in her hand.

“Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late, I just thought I should whip up some drinks for everyone.” She chirped happily.

Katsumi rolled his shoulders. “Well, seems that all we’re missing now is Erick.”

Yijun eyed Latia warily.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he decided not to bother showing up. He doesn’t seem to want to cooperate with us.” He commented.

Latia shrugged her shoulders as she walked to the tables and began to place the drinks down in front of each of the cadets.

“Oh don’t worry about that, I’m sure he’ll turn up if he isn’t too busy pulling his head out of his ass.” She replied.

Tala yawned as she put her legs up on the table. “Look, getting back to what those two were saying, I gotta say I just don’t think I can get on board with it. Back in my tribe, we followed our chief, but that was because of the trust and respect that they had earned. You can’t lead a pack without them knowing whether you’re qualified or not.”

“Well… I can see what Tala means, but what else are we supposed to do? If we don’t sort out something out then one of us might get hurt.” Kiyoshi commented.

Dr Richards stretched his back. “Honestly, I think the best way forward would simply be to first agree to some basic issues before we try to create some kind of formal hierarchy. Then if in the future circumstances dictate that one of us take a role of leadership then we will be able to choose from the ones that have best coped in our situation.”

The Inquisitor was about to object, when Joan decided to speak up.

“Father. As much as I have faith in your abilities, many of the others here may not have seen the light of the church yet. But I know that if you show them the way, they will come to consider you a shepherd to the flock.”

Pietro sighed as his face softened. “It’s a sad day when the church of Jesus Christ has to earn its trust. Damn atheists weakening the connection between God and man, it's a disgrace!”

A few awkward looks were exchanged between a few of the cadets, before Cecelia spoke once more.

“Well, this isn’t the result that I would have liked, but it appears that the majority opinion seems to be against a formal leadership. Very well, to avoid further tensions I will withdraw the suggestion for now.”

“Well this meeting was as productive as I thought it would be,” the Coffee Maker commented sarcastically as she placed a coffee in front of the Mercenary.

Anastasia looked down at her coffee with distrust, although its strong full bodied aroma filled her nostrils.

“Do you really think I’m stupid enough to drink one of _your_ coffees again?” She asked with disdain. “And what’s this you’ve written on here? ‘Zoccola’ what does that mean?”

“Look Anorexia…”

“It’s Anastasia!” The girl interrupted, about to chuck the drink at her server.

“Oh sorry. Look Anastasia, I know we got off on the wrong foot but I can tell we need to work together to survive this, so I've decided to make amends. And Zoccola means ‘Warrior’ in Italian. I thought I’d bring some of my homeland charm out for you.” The Coffee Maker answered.

The Mercenary lowered her cup, before glaring at the Coffee Maker. “If this has anything funny in it, i’m breaking your fucking arm.”

Then with a deep breath Anastasia lifted the coffee to her lips. To her surprise the drink tasted wonderful, full of rich earthiness and even a hint of pumpkin spice.

“Goddamn this is fucking good. You keep making these and I might just forgive you yet.” She said, before continuing to drink.

The Coffee Maker smiled warmly before walking over to the table of the Monk. “And here’s one for you too. Sorry about that little soda issue Tyler did earlier. Let’s just let bygones be bygones.”

The Monk looked down at his drink, with had the word ‘succhiacazzi’ written on it.

“Thank you for your offering.” He replied.

Latia winked at him before she finally made her way over to the Battle Royal Player. “And there we go. A special coffee for my special buddy.”

Tyler looked at the coffee. It was a colourful sight, with a white foamy top, a spiral of caramel and a stick of vanilla sticking out the side.

“What’s this? I don’t drink coffee, I’d rather have a monster energy right now.” He said dismissively, before reading the message left for him. “‘Merda senza valore’, what does that mean?”

Latia ruffled the top of his hair.

“Oh that means ‘world pro gamer’. I thought I’d I make this coffee to fit a guy like you perfectly.”

“Don’t touch me.” He said, pulling away from her arm before taking a sip of the drink. Immediately his eyes widened as he tasted the deliciously sweet flavours, as if they had been tailored directly to him.

“Woah, this tastes awesome! You're pretty cool, Lala.” He said happily as he began to happily drink it down.

“Oh this is just wonderful! I just knew that if we got to know each other we could all be friends!” Gemologist said happily.

Pietro scowled at the coffee maker, before clearing his throat. “Well, I think for now I should get dinner started. None of us have eaten today and we will need to keep our strength up for tomorrow. That’s when we will discuss basic rules for the group.”

He looked over to the Ice Sculptor. “Nolan, your assistance would be much appreciated.”

“Sure thing! I just hope I can keep up with the Professional Chef!” The boy replied as he got up from his seat and began to follow the reverend into the kitchen.

“Professional Chef… Now that’s something I haven’t been called in a very long time,” Pietro mused to himself, before he himself disappeared into the kitchen too.

* * *

**20:00 P.M Day One**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

The night was aglow with stars as Katsumi looked out onto the calm waters of the sea. He breathed in the salty breeze that tickled his nose as it jogged many memories of fishing trips gone by. The lights of the rig glowed softly in the background as he tried to let his mind wonder and forget the situation he was currently in.

"Hey Katsumi, was it?" He suddenly heard from behind, bringing him back to reality. It was Elizabeth walking towards him and the rig's ledge, hands in her pockets. Her jacket and hat were gone for the moment and so the only thing warming her torso was the thin white shirt that clung nicely to her body.

"I didn't get a chance to speak to you earlier. I know your arm got hurt helping Kiyoshi, how are holding up?" She asked.

As Katsumi turned to face Elizabeth a slight smile could be seen on his face as he replied, “I’m a little worse for wear, but it’s nothing to worry about, I’m fine trust me,”

The Businesswoman smirked as she placed her arms on the railing, looking out to the sea.

"You know, you’re a pretty brave guy, jumping in to save someone you just met. I know most people wouldn't have risked themselves in this kind of situation, at least if the other games are anything to go by."

Katsumi’s smile went away at the mention of the other games before he spoke again, “Look, I don’t want this to turn into those other games, even if I have to risk my life to do so,” He replied with a steady voice before continuing. “I’m getting sick and tired of these ‘games’ ruining kids’ lives, it’s just disappointing that our society has come to this,” he went on, still staring out at the open sea.

"You could say that again. I didn't exactly come from a rough area, so all this life and death stuff is new to me," the girl responded, turning around and stretching her back. "What about you, what's your story?"

His smile seemed to return again as he thought back on his past before he began speaking once again, “My dad was really into fishing, he owned a custom fishing rod shop, and he would let me in and mess around and build some every day. However, my parents wanted me to finish school. I ignored them and snuck out at two in the morning to go fishing then I would get back before my parents woke up. It was a fun life, and I wouldn’t say I grew up struggling but fishing ain’t exactly a steady income,” Katsumi half joked as he said the last line.

Elizabeth chuckled. "Wow, really puts my life in perspective. Don't know if you've ever heard of us, but my family started Grey Co, so I was pretty much always destined to enter the family business when I got older. Still, it's good to hear you followed your dreams. So many people are too spineless to take risks nowadays."

Katsumi paused for a moment returning to a traditional frown before speaking, “I don’t think people are spineless, I think they're just scared,” Katsumi paused once more before continuing “So many people have failed at achieving their dreams and ended up on the streets, or their parents don’t let them follow their dreams. Either way people just don’t always have the same benefits or even support that we did,” Katsumi finished glancing at Elizabeth to view her reaction.

The girl thought for a moment before smiling softly at the boy. "Yeah, you're probably right. It's a real shame that people have to live in that kind of situation..." She sighed. "I guess great minds think alike, being out here really does clear your head. I'm getting nervous you know. In this kind of situation I don't know how someone like Nolan or Kiyoshi are going to cope. They’re such sweet guys, they don’t deserve to get wrapped up in this shit.”

Katsumi nodded before staring back out at the open water, “No one deserves this, not even that brat Tyler,” A look of mild disgust could be seen on Katsumi’s face at the mention of the boy. “All we can do is offer our support and stick with each other through this ordeal. We just have to keep our emotions in check but that’s easier said than done,” Katsumi continued on while staring out at the sea.

"We can only hope, can't we?" The Businesswoman mused as she looked back at rig, gazing at the other platforms. Suddenly her eyes squinted as she spotted something on the roof of the second platform. 

"Hey Katsumi, what on Earth is that?" She asked, pointing in the direction.

Katsumi moves his eyes to where Elizabeth was pointing and his eyes widened as he spotted what the girl was pointing at. On the roof of one of the buildings a figure cloaked in shadow stood. Its features were unclear but the boy had a feeling that it was looking at them. Then almost as soon as he had seen it, it vanished. Gone without a trace. 

Elizabeth rubbed her eyes for a moment. "Was I just seeing things? I could have sworn something was there."

Katsumi’s tried to spot the figure once more, still clearly confused on what was going on, but to no avail. 

“You definitely weren’t seeing things, you think we should check it out or something?” Katsumi asked, looking at Elizabeth for an answer.

The girl shook her head. 

"That's not gonna be possible, mate. Whatever that was, was on a platform Quackers hasn't opened yet. I get the feeling we'd get shot if we tried. Besides, you've seen what's in those waters, God only knows what the despairs have decided to have live up here _with_ us."

Katsumi nodded his head in understanding, “Yeah I see your point, whatever that thing is, it is definitely not friendly. It’s probably best we don’t mention this to anyone, most of them are already scared enough as it is,” Katsumi mused, stuffing his hands in his pants pockets.

The Businesswoman rubbed her arm in a nervous fashion. 

"For now at least, I don't think people need that issue on their minds before getting some rest on top of everything else. But unfortunately I get the feeling that at some point ignoring it isn’t going to be an option."

* * *

**04:00 A.M Day Two**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Barricks**

It was the early hours of the morning when the cadets where suddenly awoken with a shock as a piercingly loud siren suddenly blared out across the entire base and through the halls of the barracks.

Henriette awoke with a start, almost falling out of bed, as the loud noise caused her ears to ring.

“My goodness! What on earth is going on!?” She shouted, covering her ears.

The siren continued for a few more moments, before suddenly coming to a stop as the crackling of a microphone being switched on sounded, which was followed by an all too familiar voice.

**_“Rise and shine, everyone! Doesn’t it feel good to get up nice and early, ready for the start of your first assignment?”_ **

The Flutist’s heart sunk, before she suddenly heard heavy footsteps coming from outside her door.

**_“As you are all new recruits, we first need to prepare you for your new life in the armed forces. Therefore I have arranged for an escort to help you along with your formal induction. Do as they say, do not resist them and we should be able to get this day started without too many injuries. I will meet with you after they have finished with you. Until then, ta ta for now…”_ **

As soon as the Sergeant's voice cut out, the door to her room was swung open and standing in the door frame looking directly at her were the masked soldiers from the first day, looking directly at her through the expressionless looks on their masks.

“You. Get out of bed and come with us.” One of them commanded, his voice muffled and guttural.

The girl was taken aback as she tried to sit up the bed, still feeling exhausted.

“What? Please I need a moment to get ready, I’m not even-”

“That was an order, soldier!” He replied as he clicked his fingers and pointed at her. Immediately three others stormed into the room and grabbed the girl, forcibly dragging her out of bed still in her nightgown.

“How dare you! Unhand me this instant!” She shouted as she struggled against them. This quickly earned her a kick in the stomach from one of her assaulters, as the lead soldier reached forward and grabbed her by the hair.

“I said get out now!” He roared, pulling her into the hallway.

“Va te faire foutre!” She replied angrily, before reaching the hall and seeing the true extent of the situation. The entire hallway was swarming with more gas masked men, all of them invading the rooms of the cadets and dragging them out, some either by request or by force.

“Get the fuck off of me you bastards!” Tyler screamed as he was pulled out of his room in a chokehold.

“Hey, hey, hey! Watch the damn merchandise. No need to rough!” Roman shouted as he wall shoved into the wall.

“What on earth’s the time anyway?” Elizabeth asked, stifling a yawn as she made her way out.

“Are some of you imbeciles seriously trying to fight an entire squad of armed men? God lord you are all truly as stupid as I thought,” Erick commented as he was lead out by the arm.

“W-what’s going on? What did Quackers mean by ‘formal induction’?” Nolan asked nervously.

“I don’t know, kid. But whatever it is I doubt it's gonna be good,” Anastasia replied, worry clear on her voice... 

* * *

**Author’s Note:**

Special thanks to Trygve11 for helping me write the scene with Katsumi. Also thanks to MudkipOfDespair and StoryProducer214 for being my betas.

* * *

**Review Section:**

doomqwer: The chaos is only going to get worse from here my friend…

Sparten2121: We have a tease at the end of this chapter, so let the speculation begin.

Trygve11: Well the characters have to share a spotlight with 17 others, so screen time is going to vary.

Bellatrixshine: I’m sure they are good upstanding gentlemen who wouldn’t hurt a fly!

BirblordAlmighty: Well we will see what happens. Also it’s great to see you reviewing stories again.


	6. You’re in the Army Now

**05:30 A.M Day Two**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

After their rude awakening that morning, the cadets soon found themselves lined up in front of Quackers. One by one, each of them had been forced to put on military camo outfits, marked with the same markings as Quackers’ uniform, though without the stripes of his rank. All around them, the platform was now buzzing with life, as many more gas-masked men suddenly appeared and began to set various things up around the area. 

**_“Well, it's a good change of pace when I see you lot lined up and ready for the day ahead. Maybe our first encounter was just a fluke.”_** Quackers said as he looked the cadets over.

Erick scratched himself, clearly uncomfortable in the uniform. “Alright let’s cut to the chase, what sort of horrors have you got planned for us?” He asked dismissively.

Quackers narrowed his glared at him, before Erick was shocked by his wrist guide. **_“Maybe I spoke too soon. You’ll have to work on that tone of yours, boy. Otherwise I won’t give you a chance to regret it.”_** The Sergeant said to him as the boy grit his teeth, enduring the pain.

**_“But he is indeed correct, in a manner. Today you will be working through your first assignment. It is clear to me that you are still shackled by that horrific chain that you call hope, and it is holding back your full potential as soldiers. Therefore I have arranged for you all to be placed into groups and put into training, specially designed to… help you with that.”_ **

Nolan raised his hand nervously. “T-training? What sort of training, sir?” He asked.

 ** _“Ah, now that’s more like it. You lot could learn from him how to address a superior officer. But to answer his question, the specifics of the training you will find out yourself soon enough. However, the training will involve pushing you to your metal limits, to break you and show you the true strength that comes from embracing despair,”_** the Sergeant answered with a grin.

The Inquisitor growled. “So this is to break us, to push us into despair? I should have expected nothing less from you, demon.”

The Businesswoman frowned. “Hang on what's the catch? If I remember every other killing game correctly, then there should be some part of this that encourages us to kill each other,” she mused.

 ** _“It seems Private Grey here is the only one of you asking the smart questions. While this assignment would normally only end at my discretion, there is a way to prove that the training is unnecessary. If one of you kills another of your fellow cadets, then the training will cease immediately, as that will prove to me that the fire of despair already burns bright within you,”_** he said as he eyes glew red for a moment, before returning to normal. **_“But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. If you look behind you, you will see that there are four training officers waiting to take you to each of their training regimes. I hope you all the best of luck and… try to have fun.”_**

As he finished his speech, Quackers reconfigured his arms, ready to fly away.

**_“But before I go, are there any further questions?”_ **

The cadets looked at each other nervously, before Herniette raised her hand.

“Err, yes I have one. How long do we have to wear these uniforms? Because I have to say they are quite uncomfortable,” she asked. 

The Sergeant looked at her in silence, before shocking her.

 ** _“You will wear those uniforms wherever you are on active duty. You’re lucky we don’t burn the clothes you came in and make you wear them for the duration of the entire bootcamp,”_** he answered, as the girl tried to stand, shaking from the shock.

 ** _“Any other questions?.. No? I didn’t think so,”_** he said as he flapped his wings and flew away.

The cadets then heard the sound of footsteps behind them. Turning around they saw the Officers that the Sergeant had told them about, surrounded by other armed men. As they called their names it became clear that they had a long day ahead of them.

* * *

**06:00 A.M**

**Day Two**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

"Well look what we've got here? Good lord I knew the Sergeant had found some real freaks for this platoon, but I’m impressed,” the masked Training Officer said to the gathered group. Kiyoshi, Yijun and Tala had all been taken to the side and found themselves very close to the platform's edge. Chains scattered around the floor with men at the ready, while the cadets found guns trained at them from all angles.

Kiyoshi glanced around nervously, his eyes darting to and fro. His gaze settled on the masked man. “W-What are you gonna make us do?”

Yijin glanced at the chains surrounding them. "Whatever you plan to do to us, we will not break. I have overcome trials that you can never match."

The Officer chuckled. 

"We'll see about that, Monk,” he said, before turning to the Voice Actor. "Yesterday Quackers exposed a serious weakness in your abilities. You were thrown off the edge and you couldn't even fly to save yourself. You'll never be a start to our airborne division with that attitude. So today these two are going to help you... fix that little issue of yours."

Kiyoshi tilted his head. “That doesn’t sound too bad, but... I guess there’s probably gonna be some sort of horrible twist to it...” He looked nervously at Tala.

Tala frowned. "What are you planning on doing to him?" She growled.

The Officer motioned to a few of the others who picked up some of the chains and walked towards the three. "Well it's quite simple, actually. We're going to throw that idiot off the side and hope he decides to actually start flying for himself. But don't worry, we'll make sure he has a safety harness!" 

Suddenly the men grabbed the boy, dragging him away from the others and placed a noose made of steel chains around his neck, securing it with a padlock.

“W-What?! Wait, this is... this is way worse than I expected! No! Please, someone help me! Please!” Kiyoshi cried, frantically struggling against the chains, but to no avail.

"Get the fuck off him!" Tala screamed as she tried to push her way through the soldiers. She punched one of them, sending then flying into one of the steel walls and Yijin smashed two of their heads together with a crack. However as soon as they began resisting, they were shocked by the devices on their wrists and beaten down with a combination of rifle butts and batons. As Tala was pinned to the floor with a boot stamping on her head, a few of the others began wrapping chains around the Monk's wings.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Yijin shouted as they pad locked his wings into place.

"Don't worry Private Kaneda, you won't be going alone. Private Xiong may be able to fly from a basic land start but what about under pressure? He'll soon be joining you in your exercise." He turned to the girl. “And if you care about these two at all you’ll stop acting like a rabid dog. You have the task of making sure they don’t end up as fish bait.” He said as Kiyoshi was lead to the side of the platform, facing the water.

Kiyoshi looked down towards the water. He briefly saw the shadow of something under the water in the distance, and he began to shiver. “Guys, whatever happens... p-please don’t leave me... don’t let me die...”

"I don't know what you're so worried about, soldier. You just have to flap your wings if don't want to end up breakfast for the marine division." The man said, earning a few chuckles from the others. Then with four of them grabbing onto him they threw him over the edge. Kiyoshi screamed as he fell, flapping his wings as hard and fast as he could, but it was no use. He hit the water with an almighty splash.

"KIYOSHI!" Tala shouted as she struggled to get out from under the boot of the men pinning her, but to no avail..

"Oooh... That wasn't a good landing. Alright chuck Private Xiong in next," he said as the Monk had a chain noose secured around his neck as well and was led to the side. 

"I swear on the spirits of my ancestors I will make you pay for the evil you have committed,” he said as he passed the Officer. 

"Yeah, yeah, save it for after the training. Shove him!" At the man's command the others grabbed Yijin and he too was thrown over the edge. His wings pinned as they were, he landed hard on the water’s surface.

The Monk struggled to keep his head above the water as he soon felt the familiar presence started to swim towards them. 

"Kiyoshi, are you alright!?" He shouted, spitting out some water.

Kiyoshi was flailing around wildly in the water. “No! Not again! I-I can’t take it! Big Sis, help me, please!” He cried, his voice breaking in panic as he saw the shadow advance towards them.

The Officer shook his head in disapproval. "Tut, tut, this generation is so fucking weak, isn't it?" He said, turning to the Artisan. "Now this is where your training comes in. You will have to show us that lycan strength that is hidden inside you, and you can do that by pulling them both out of the water."

The men pinning her suddenly let her go as others grabbed the ends of both sets of chains attached to the boys in the water and attached them to one larger chain. The larger chain was dripping with crude oil, covered in barbed spikes and looked very heavy.

Tala looked at her task in horror, before gritting her teeth. "You bastard…" 

"Are you _still_ not cooperating? Well then let’s give you some more incentive.” 

A couple of the soldiers carrying buckets suddenly walked to the side of the platform and dumped their contents onto the two in the water. The contents were various human body parts soaked in liters of blood and it coated the two completely. 

The man then took out his pistol and fired it into the air. "Dinner time boys!"

Kiyoshi looked at the gruesome mess with a horrified expression. He started to hyperventilate. “Oh my god, _stop_! Please, please, no more... this is... too much... Stop...” His voice faltered. A flood of tears fell down his cheeks.

Yijin began to mutter prayers as he prepared himself for the worst. 

Tala sprung up and ran to the chain grabbing it with both hands. At first she tried to pull while avoiding the spikes, but the lubricated metal simply slipped through her hands. Then as she heard Kiyoshi cry from below, she grit her teeth and grabbed onto the spikes with all of her strength. She roared in pain as the spikes dug into her hands, piercing straight through them, but tried to suppress the pain as the chain began to lift skyward. 

The two below, now swarmed with monsters felt the chain tighten and start to choke them as they were pulled up at a steady pace. The Monk tried to tense his throat muscles to avoid the crushing force but Kiyoshi felt the cold metal dig into his windpipe. Then as it seemed he would lose consciousness, with one final pull the two were back on the metal platform and once more able to breathe.

Tala threw the chain to the side and ran to the voice actor, holding his head in her bloody and badly wounded hands.

"Kiyoshi! Kiyoshi, speak to me!" she cried.

Kiyoshi looked weakly at Tala. “Big Sis... You saved me... Thanks... You mean so much to me...”

The Monk coughed uncontrollably as he struggled to breathe normally again. "Alright you bastards, you've had your fun now unbind us this instant!" 

The man laughed. 

"You’re not the one giving orders here, Private! Besides... I think we still have time to repeat this exercise three or four more times before breakfast. So come on, no rest for the wicked..." He said with an unseen smile as the three felt their hearts sink…

* * *

**6:30 A.M**

**Day Two**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

As Janna, Joan, Tyler and Anastasia were dragged to the centre of the platform, they found that a small circle had been formed. It was some kind of circular area marked with lines drawn in chalk and surrounded by more of the soldiers who seemed very excited about what was about to happen.

The Gemologist swallowed nervously. "This doesn't seem so bad. I wonder what training they have set up for us?"

Anastasia frowned, examining the scene closely. "Don't let your guard down, I have a bad feeling about this."

"We can only hope that the Lord guides us through this training of sorts." Joan closed her eyes, before making a quick prayer.

"Whatever! Anything these motherfuckers want to throw at us I can take them!" Tyler replied confidently, causing the Mercenary to roll her eyes.

As they were pushed into the centre, the Training Officer that had escorted them walked inside the area. He looked them up and down behind the cold glass of his mask's eye lenses.

"Well here we are, boys. Fresh meat for the grinder,” he said coldly. "Can't say I'm impressed but you'll have to do."

"Alright asshole, what are you gonna make us do?" The Mercenary asked as her eyes narrowed.

"That should be obvious. Your group has been selected to take part in specialist combat training. One by one you will have to spar with some of the men here and show us what you are made of,” he replied as the others looked at them menacingly.

Janna fidgeted nervously. "Err... do we have to? I really don't like fighting, can we do something else?"

The Officer slowly turned to face her. "Well it looks like we have our first volunteer. Let's get her ready."

At the Officer's words a cheer erupted from the others as two of them grabbed her from behind and dragged her into the centre of the arena. Landing badly on the floor. Before she could even react the Officer kicked her square in the face, flipping her onto her back, before grinding his boot into her genitals. 

Tyler’s eyes widened with horror and the sound of Janna’s scream echoed across the crowd. 

“This, this has part of the show. Please be fake,” he muttered to himself fearfully.

Joan watched as the Officer tortured Janna, before stepping forward into the area.

“Get away from her,” she said coldly.

“Joan, what are you doing!?" Anastasia called out as she was held back by some of the men.

The man looked up at the nun and scoffed, stepping over the Gemologist and walking up to the Nun.

"I don't believe your name was called, Soldier. Get back and wait your turn,” he ordered her.

"No. I will not leave someone in need, she replied as her eyes bore into his.

The crowd laughed as Janna looked up at the Nun.

“No, please! Don’t worry about me! Just don’t let yourself get hurt!” She begged the Nun.

"This bitch is crazy,” Tyler commented as he looked on in disbelief.

The Man grinned unseen under the mask.

"You're a defiant one." He said as he flexed his metal plated combat gloves. "I guess we're just going to have to beat that out of you."

In a flash the swung his fist in the Nun's direction and punched her straight in the cheek, before slamming his knee into her gut and his elbow into her back, causing her to land on the metal floor with a heavy crunch. Joan coughed up blood as she began to shiver.

"Joan!" Janna called as she tried to reach her, only to get kicked in the ribs. She was then turned over and pinned to the ground by the man's heavy boot.

The man looked down at her intently but was distracted when he suddenly heard a pleasured moan come from his side. Slowly Joan stood back on her feet, before placing a hand on her stomach, a smile slowly spreading across her blank expression.

The Officer looked at her in slight shock.

"What are you smiling at? Don't you know when to stay down?" He said as he ground his boot into the Gemologist, causing her to scream in pain.

"I simply enjoyed the punch you gave me, the pain was quite enjoyable~,” she smiled slightly wider, with a small blush.

Janna gave the Nun a disbelieving and slightly worried look as the Officer chuckled darkly.

"I see... so you're one of the freaks I heard about." He looked at the crowd, pointing to a few of the men. "You three get in here. Seems we're going to skip to the group sessions."

Anastasia blinked her eyes in disbelief as the men began to enter the arena, batons in hand. She frowned before jumping into the centre. In a flash she kicked out the legs of one of them, before disarming the second, breaking his arm. Then, baton in hand, she struck the third in the back of the skull. He fell to the floor before she delivered a boot to the back of his neck, snapping it.

"That's enough! Why don't you fight someone your own size!?" She shouted as she clenched the weapon in her hand.

"Holy shit..." Tyler mumbled as he looked on at the scene in front of him.

The Mercenary looked at the gathered men in front of her, preparing herself for an attack before her entire body was wracked by electricity, the device on her wrist electrocuting her. As she grit her teeth, trying to ignore pain her guard was dropped and soon the crowd was on top of her. They laid into her ruthlessly, forcing her to the floor and raining blow after blow on her now bruised and battered body.

"You fools need to realize that you are in no position to defy us. But since you all seem to have not gotten that message, let's complete this little team session," he said as he looked at the Battle Royal Player.

Tyler's eyes widened with horror as he was thrown into the centre and found himself surrounded at all sides.

“No, please, I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me!” He begged as he looked around himself in a panic. He crawled back, breathing heavily and found himself back to back with the Nun.

The Officer stamped his foot once more on the girl beneath him, before withdrawing his own baton and addressed the Nun.

"I hope you’re proud of yourself. Your little act of insubordination is about to result in hospital trips for your comrades. Have you got anything to say for yourself?"

Joan frowned and narrowed her eyes slightly, before suddenly wrapping her arms around the child and pulled him close as she held him protectively.

"Give me all the punishment you will inflict on me, but I refuse to let this child be put through the same abuse." She said, her blank tone returning.

Tyler froze in shock at the contact, but slowly felt his arms wrap around the Nun as well, hugging her tightly.

The Officer shrugged.

"Well I guess we'll just have to get to him through you. Men… have fun." He said as the soldiers all bore down on them.

* * *

**7:00 A.M**

**Day Two**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**In the depths of the platform**

Elizabeth, Katsumi, Nolan, Pietro and Henriette looked around the small hallway they had been locked inside. In front of them appeared to be a narrow doorway that lead into darkness while behind them a metal door was firmly closed, with no sign of how to unlock it.

Pietro's eyes narrowed as he looked up at the security camera that pointed down at them.

"What kind of 'training' is this supposed to be? If you plan on harming us then do it in the open, not in darkness like cowards!”

"I don't think antagonising them is a good idea, Pietro. We have no idea what they are planning,” Henriette commented, worry clear in her voice.

“I didn’t even realise that there were areas under the platform. I guess they were locked up yesterday,” Elizabeth added as she examined the clean, yet unused state of the hallway.

The speakers next to the camera crackled to life.

"Don't worry, cadets. Today will be a test of your sense of direction and speed. Ahead of you through that door is a maze. Your task is to get through it as fast as possible." The voice said bluntly.

“A maze? T-that sounds easy enough, I’ve always been good with puzzles and such!” Nolan said hopefully, a small smile gracing his face. “I’ll do my best to lead you all out!”

Elizabeth smiled. "That's the spirit, Nolan. I'm glad someone is trying to stay positive," she said, her smile fading. "However I get the feeling that this is not going to be that easy."

"Oh you'd certainly be right about that! Where would the challenge be without a little pressure to keep you going?" The voice replied, full of malice.

As it finished the door behind them began to hiss as it slowly swung open. Slowly coming into view where a pack of horrific dog like monsters, but clearly altered as their skin barely clung to the bones that jutted out and the drooling tentacles that grew from their backs. They snarled through their razor sharp jaws as they slowly began to stalk towards them.

"Oh shit..." Katsumi said as his face grew pale.

"What the fuck are those things!?" The Businesswoman said, trying to stay calm.

“A-are they going to be chasing us?!” The Ice Sculptor wailed, taking a few steps back. “I don’t think I like this anymore!”

"Well why don't you stay and find out? These guys haven't had fresh meat in days. I'm sure they'd love some company..." The voice said with glee.

"No... No I'm not dying here!" The Flutiest cried as she bolted into the doorway.

"Henriette!" The Inquisitor shouted as the girl disappeared into the darkness. "Fuck! Everyone, stay together and follow me!" He said as he too followed the girl.

Soon he was followed by the remaining three as they ran into the darkness. Quickly they found that they were in a system of metal hallways that turned and twisted without much rhythm or reason as the sounds of the creatures behind them grew louder and louder.

As they closed in on the Flutist the group was about to reunite, but it was not to be as the hall suddenly shook and the girl disappeared from view, a wall now in her place.

"Damn it! The maze is moving!" Pietro cried.

Elizabeth gripped Nolan's hand tight.

"Whatever happens we can't let ourselves get spilt up," she turned to the ice sculptor. "Stay with me. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

Nolan whimpered and shaked, gripping her arm as he nodded silently. “O-ok. But... I can feel the wind. It’s coming from the right, it might be the exit...” He said quietly.

Katsumi put his hand out, feeling the air flow.

"You've got good instincts, kid. Good job." He said as he headed in that direction, followed by the others.

More and more they ran, hounded by the mutants, before they ran into what appeared to be a solid wall.

"What!? This can't be the end!" Pietro said.

Suddenly the hallway shook again and hallway began to shift again.

"Wait, what the!?" The Fisherman cried as he was suddenly pushed to the side. Soon he was gone and only three remained, but with a fork in the road that lead three ways.

"Shit. They’re splitting us up. They probably want those things to hunt us down one by one." Elizabeth said through gritted teeth.

“To the right!” Nolan said suddenly, dragging Elizabeth with him. “I think we’re close!”

The Ice Sculptor turned to look at the two with a determined look. “T-this isn’t the time for me to be scared, I’ll help you guys get out no matter what!” The blue eyed boy shouted with an unusual amount of determination.

The girl grinned. “Yeah... Yeah you’re right! We'll get out of here and show that duck-" Suddenly she was cut off as the floor between her and the ice sculptor rose up, breaking the grip they had on each of their hands and separating the two.

"NOLAN!" She screamed before a wall rose up behind her as well, blocking her from the Inquisitor.

"Damn it..." The inquisitor growled as he heard the sounds of the dogs bark behind him. "I will not die here. I swear to God!" He cried as he made his way further into the tunnels...

_10 Minutes later..._

"I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" Henriette cried as tears flowed down her face. She felt lost and alone, when a light appeared ahead of her. Gasping with joy she ran as fast as she could and found a clearing marked "EXIT". As she collapsed on the floor, panting for breath she looked up and saw Nolan, looking down at her with a worried look.

“Hey, are you ok?” The Ice Sculptor asked, concerned. “Here, take my hand!” 

"T-thank you..." She said weakly as she rose to her feet, shaking like a leaf. "Where are the others? Has anyone else made it out yet?"

“No,” Nolan said with worry. “I tried to lead everyone out with the direction of the wind, but they purposefully separated us. I hope they’re ok. Especially Elizabeth. I... I promised that I would keep her safe,” He said quietly as he began to shake as well. 

The two looked at the hallway. Moments passed, until soon the sounds of running grew, followed by the sight of Elizabeth who made it into the room. As she leaned back onto one of the walls, soon another ran in. It was Katsumi, who looked worse for wear; his clothes were ripped and he was covered in scratches.

"It's good to see you guys are alright,” she said between pants. "How you holding up, Katsumi?"

The boy growled. "Some of those things nearly got me, but I managed to get out of the way before the walls moved again," he said, groaning in pain.

“I’m glad. So... that’s four of us...” Nolan trailed off, chewing on his fingernail nervously. “I can’t even begin to think...”

Suddenly the sound of howls began to fill the room as suddenly Pietro appeared, followed by one of the creatures.

"Pietro look out!" The Flutist shouted.

The Inquisitor turned around and flexed his left arm. Then as the creature jumped at him, ready to tear his throat out, a blade sprung from the metal arm and he jammed it into its neck.

"Go back to the hell you came from, demon,” he said as he threw it against the wall, before stepping on its head, crushing its skull.

He walked in slowly and glared at the camera observing them. "Alright, we made it through your trial. Now let us go!" He shouted.

The speakers came to life once more.

"Congratulations, cadets. You made it through the warm up. Now comes the real challenge. Are you all ready?" It asked with smugness on its tone.

"Warm up?" Henriette asked in disbelief as she slumped down one of the walls. "This is a nightmare..."

"W-wait, we're not done?" Nolan squeaked, his eyes widening. "This isn't fair!"

Pietro growled in frustration as Elizabeth and Kasumi looked at each other worriedly.

"I knew this was too good to be true,” he said.

"Of course it was. These despairs never play fair..." She said bitterly.

* * *

**8:00 A.M**

**Day Two**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**In the depths of the platform**

As Wolfgang, Latia, Roman, Erick, Dr Richards and Cecelia made their way down one of the twisting corridors in the bowels of the platform, they soon found that the walls surrounding them were getting narrower and narrower as doors on either side began to make themselves visible. Soon, they arrived at their destination. It was a solid metal door, but it didn’t seem to be much more interesting than that for now.

“Where the hell are you taking us?” Wolfgang asked impatiently.

“In a few moments you’ll wish you hadn't asked. But don’t worry, you won’t have to wonder for long…” The training officer replied.

“Oh, a mystery? So original,” Latia commented sarcastically as the door suddenly swung open.

“Enter. The following training will be one of your problem solving skills,” the Officer said as his subordinates pointed their guns at the group. “I won’t ask again.”

Erick rolled his eyes. “Fine, no need to be so dramatic,” he said as he made his way in.

The rest followed, with Wolfgang and Ceclia shooting their captors dirty looks, before they soon were all inside of the room, the door quickly shutting behind them.

The room was a strange sight. The walls were made of metal, but inside there were numerous statues and figures made out of chocolate. The smell coming from them was absolutely delightful and it made the mouths of most of the cadets water. In the centre there was a single wooden table, and on it was a collection of six mugs, currently empty.

Wolfgang wiped his nose, trying to suppress the overpowering smell.

“Is this some kind of a joke? What sort of problem solving is this supposed to be? Who make the fattest pig out of themselves?” He asked.

“Can’t say I’m too mad if that is the case. This stuff smells amazing!” Roman commented enthusiastically.

“Well that’s good to hear,” the Officer replied through the speakers. “Because hidden inside some of this chocolate, there is a key that unlocks the door out of the room you are currently locked inside. Find that and you will be allowed to leave.” 

Cecelia frowned. “That seems awfully easy.”

“I highly doubt it will be. Unless this is some sort of attempt at killing us via induced diabetes,” Dr Richards said as he wiped his eyes.

“Your task begins immediately. But be aware that you have a time limit,” the voice said, before the back of the room was suddenly illuminated, revealing a strange looking metallic device. “You have five minutes to search until that machine is switched on. After that… well I couldn’t say how long you’ll have.”

As the speakers cut off the cadets looked at the machine curiously.

“What the bloody hell is that thing?” Roman asked.

“Who gives a fuck? Let’s just get this stupid task over with.” Erick responded harshly as he pushed one of the statues over, shattering it into many different pieces.

“Can’t say I disagree, though I might have worded it differently.” The Naval Commander said as she began to break apart some of the chocolate as well.

The cadets began to break down the chocolate at a rapid pace, though they didn’t seem to have much luck. Out of curiosity, Roman tasted a piece.

“Fuck me, this shit is amazing!” He said taking a few bites.

“You’re right about that! I need to try this in my next chococino,” Latia replied as she nibbled a bit as well.

The SCP Researcher looked at a piece intently, before trying some too. “Yes, interesting. Very interesting. In fact I don’t think I’ve tasted something like this since…” 

Suddenly the scientist’s eyes went as wide as saucers, dropping the piece in his hand and slowly looking back at the deactivated device.

“Is something wrong, Doctor?” Cecelia asked as she noticed that the Doctor had become quite pale.

“No way… It’s not possible...” Dr Richards muttered to himself, slightly panicked.

“Yo, what’s up doc?” The Coffee Maker asked as she stood in front of him with a grin.

“Get out the way!” Dr Richards shouted as he shoved Latia to the side and walked up to the machine.

“What’s that old fool up to?” Wolfgang asked as he noticed the commotion.

The Doctor examined the machine quickly, before he began to shake.

“How did they get a hold of this? The containment cell should have-” He cut himself off as he turned to the others. “We’ve got to find that key, now! We’re in unimaginable danger!”

Erick glanced at the SCP Researcher.

“What do you mean by ‘unimaginable danger’? Does that thing release poison gas or something?”

“No, you don’t understand, this thing is-” Suddenly he was cut off as the machine suddenly activated. From the top of its spout, rivers of flowing liquid chocolate began to flow freely, dripping down into its basin and filling the room with an incredible sweet aroma.

Roman crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.

“A chocolate fountain? _That’s_ what got your knickers in a twist?” He said, unimpressed.

“Just as I thought, he truly is insane,” the Engineer said as he returned to smashing the chocolate statues.

The Doctor tore at his hair in frustration. “Imbecile! This isn’t some ordinary chocolate fountain, this is-”

“Hey this stuff’s even better fresh!” Latia suddenly interrupted as she drank some of the chocolate, freshly poured into her mug from the fountain.

“I never thought in all of the known multiverse I’d meet a group of people this stupid,” Dr Richards said flatly.

The Coffee Maker grinned maliciously.

“Aww, what’s up with the frosty attitude? Here, let me help warm you up!” She said as she dipped her mug into the fountain once more, before chucking its contents at the doctor. The chocolate covered the front of the military shirt, up to his neck. 

Dr Richards looked down at the stain in horror. “You, you, what have you done!?”

Latia laughed loudly. “Yeah, fuck you too. That’s for shoving me, Doc!”

“Okay, that’s enough! We need to stay focussed or we’re never going to…” Cecelia felt the words die in her throat as she suddenly noticed that from the fountain what seemed to be hundreds of tiny insects began to slowly make their way out of the basin of the fountain and crawl towards the Researcher and the Coffee Maker.

“What the hell is that!?” She shouted as she began to back away from the direction of the fountain.

The two looked down and noticed that the creatures where now beginning to crawl up their legs.

Dr Richards immediately jumped back, brushing off as many as he could as he crawled back towards the door.

“Find that key, now!” He shouted in a panic. Wolfgang, Erick and Roman, realising the seriousness of the situation, began to pick up their search in haste, breaking everything made of chocolate in sight.

“I don’t know what you’re so worried about, Doc. They’re just bugs, what's the worst that could happen?” Latia responded with amusement. However this soon vanished when she suddenly felt her skin getting torn into by hundreds of tiny pincers, her legs getting shredded by the second. She screamed and collapsed, trying in desperation to get the creatures off of her.

“What the fuck are these things!?” She screamed as she crushed the bugs repeatedly.

“SCP-743. When activated a stream of ants made of the chocolate material come out and devour any organic matter in their vicinity.” The SCP Researcher stated as he stood up, brushing the last of the ants off of him. “That’s what I was trying to warn you about, you fucking idiot.”

“Killer chocolate fountains!? What kind of shit is this?” Roman asked as he smashed another chocolate statue.

“Whatever the case it appears that the worst is over,” Wolfgang added.

Then just as Latia squashed the last of the bugs on her legs, that where now running red with blood, the fountain fully unleashed its contents. Millions of chocolate flesh eating ants started to pour out of the top of the fountain, they streamed down the fountain and began to cover the floor, walls and ceilings in the insects, all of them hungry for flesh.

“HURRY UP!” Dr Richards shouted at the others, as they began to panic.

The ants grew closer and closer, slowly covering the objects in the room and backing the cadets towards the door. The wait of the ants covered one of the larger statutes and caused it to fall over. It broke and suddenly a shining metal key appeared on the floor from it. However, the ants were nearly upon it

Without thinking, Cecelia bolted forward and with lighting speed grabbed the key. However a few ants managed to get onto her hand and they began to bite mercilessly.

“Get us out now!” She commanded as she threw the key at Roman and began to swat the ants off of her hand. Roman gripped the key tight and hands shaking forced it into the keyhole. With a click, the door opened and they ran out, the ants on their tail. As they ran they suddenly passed through some kind of energy barrier. 

“Wait, what?” Latia said as she looked back and saw that the ants could not pass through.

“Congratulations.” The officer said as he looked down at them. “You all made it. I have to say I didn’t expect that.”

The Naval Commander ignored him as she looked at her bleeding hand.

“How? How did you get your hands on SCP-743 or that shielding technology!?” Dr Richards asked as he tried to calm his breathing.

“Don’t you worry about that. Worry about your next-” The Officer was suddenly interrupted as an alarm rang across the entire platform.

“Well, you lot are lucky. Seems the break for breakfast starts now. Savour the time, because we resume training immediately afterwards.” He finished as he made his way up the stairs, leaving the winded cadets on the floor.

“This- this training is going to kill us...” Latia said, still nursing her bleeding leg.

“Those men will regret the day they crossed me. I swear it,” the Saxophonist said as he gripped his arm, trying to stop it shaking.

* * *

 **Author’s note:** Thanks to MasterParafin, StoryProducer214 and JCW18 for helping write some of these sections. Also a thanks to MudkipOfDespair and StoryProducer214 for being my betas.

* * *

**Review Section:**

Doomqwer: You’re damn right about that!

Trygve11: I’m liking your theories, but will they be true? Only time will tell...

bellatrixshine: Very interesting indeed.

BirblordAlmighty **:** I guess you’ll just have to read and find out!

Sparten2121: Thank you. I have to say I really like Latia as a character, so its good to see others like her to.


	7. Combat Fatigue

**09:00 A.M Day Two**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Mess Hall**

“I don’t understand, it makes no sense. How did they manage to acquire a keter level anomaly like that?” Dr Richards muttered to himself as he and the other members of his group made their across the platform and headed towards the Mess Hall.

“Oi, Richards. You seem to know whatever the fuck that machine was back there. Are you going to tell us what the fuck just happened?” Roman asked as he followed shortly behind.

The SCP Researcher pinched his brow. “As I have already said before, that ‘thing’ was SCP-743. It is what in layman’s terms might be called an ‘object with supernatural properties’, in that there is no logical reason within mundane science that explains how it produces the stream of flesh eating ants that almost devoured us.”

Erick frowned. “I’ve heard you talk about these ‘SCPs’ for a while now and we still don’t know what they even are. Care to clarify?”

Dr Richards paused for a moment. “I suppose there’s no point in trying to keep that from you given our situation, the world is certainly beyond amnestics at this point. To put it simply, SCPs are a term for items and creatures that fulfil a certain paranormal criteria. I won’t bore you with the details but I assure you the fact that they are in possession of one as dangerous as SCP-743 is greatly concerning.”

As the group finally reached the door to the mess hall and looked inside, the sight that greeted them was a shock. Joan, Janna, Anastasia and Tyler where inside the building already and looked badly hurt, with each of them in varying states of injury. Anastasia was laid on one of the tables, bleeding from her head and barely conscious while a battered and bruised Janna was weakly pressing her hand against it, in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Joan’s clothes had multiple tears and blood stains on them as she silently prayed, and Tyler was shivering while he hugged himself, rocking as he sat on one of the many chairs.

Ceceila’s eyes widened as she nursed her injured hand. “My God, what did they do to you!?” She said as she rushed towards the bleeding Mercenary.

Janna looked up, forcing a smile. “We were put into combat training. Joan tried to save me, but we were outnumbered.” 

Anastasia flinched in pain. 

“Oh sorry, Ana.” Janna continued, before looked back up at the Commander. “Please give me some help, she’s been bleeding since we got here.”

Ceceila nodded. “That’s fine. Janna, I’ll keep pressure on the wound. Go off and see if you can find some first aid, quickly!” She said as she moved the Gemologist away from the bleeding girl, before she took her place to control the bleeding. Janna nodded and rushed to the kitchen with a limp.

“Jesus, you lot really got the shit kicked out of you!” Latia said, breaking her silence since the walk from their training. She looked over to the Battle Royal Player. “What’s up, Tyler? They didn’t scare someone as big and brave as you, did they?” She asked with a sly grin.

The Battle Royal Player, noticing her presence, forced himself onto his feet and straightened himself up painfully.

“N-no! Those motherfuckers never stood a chance against me! I just caught off guard, that’s all.” He said, trying to recompose himself.

“Oh stop it, you stupid boy,” Wolfgang commented dismissively as he walked by the others and took a seat. “I was just nearly killed by a man eating chocolate fountain, so I’m in no mood to listen to the likes of a waste of space like you.”

Tyler stared at him as he shook with emotion. “What the fuck did you call me!?”

“I called you a waste of space. Are you deaf!?” The Saxophonist paused. “Actually, no, you’re not a total waste. In fact if you want to be useful, why don’t you jump off the side of the platform and let yourself get eaten? Then I wouldn't have to be subjected to this humiliation.”

Tyler’s lip quivered and his breathing began to speed up, before he turned around and ran out of the mess hall in a rush. An air of awkwardness filled the room, while Latia turned away from the others, suppressing a giggle.

“Was that really necessary?” The Naval Commander asked disapprovingly.

“Yeah, I mean the kid’s a brat but telling him to go kill himself was a bit harsh, don’t you think?” Roman added, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It's true though. All that boy has done since we woke up here is be a pain in the neck,” Erick responded. “Though considering it was Wolfgang who said it, this may be a case of the pot calling the kettle black.”

“Fuck you, asshole!” Wolfgang shouted as he crossed his arms.

Joan looked at Wolfgang, eyes narrowing slightly.

“So it's true what the Sergeant said. At this rate you lot won’t last a week,” a voice suddenly said from behind them. As the cadets turned to look they saw that standing in the doorway there was another one of the gas masked men, however this one seemed different from the others. They appeared to be female, as they noticeable breasts and curves, and were shorter than most of the others. As well from the back of her mask her dirty blonde was done up in a ponytail and in her hand she held some kind of metal box.

“Oh God, who the hell are you? Please don’t tell me its end of our break already,” Roman asked exasperatedly.

“No. In fact, I'm here to make sure you are able to continue your training once things are set up.” The figure replied, walking into the building.

Erick raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”

The figure reached one of the tables and placed the box on it. There was a moment of suspense in the room before it was opened to reveal a basic medical kit.

“Here, get yourselves fixed up. We can’t have you lagging behind during the training.” She said, before gazing into the Naval Commander’s eyes. “You can use this to stop Anastasia’s bleeding, though I don’t see much point. She couldn’t even protect herself. Ultimate Mercenary? What a joke.”

“You shocked her and then attacked her all at once. She was trying to protect us. Don’t you dare slander her,” the Nun said to the figure, giving her an icy stare.

The figure tilted her head. “The Nun who gets wet from being a pain slut is trying to be all high and mighty? Save your sanctimony for someone who cares.”

The figure turned on her heel. “You all have an hour. After that we start again,” she said as she walked out of the building.

The group was silent for a moment, before the Commander broke the silence. “Well don’t just stand there, someone pass me some bandages.”

Dr Richards looked through the box, before picking some up and passing them over to her.

“You know something about that last soldier was a bit odd, don’t ya think? For one I think she’s the only girl in one of those masks we’ve seen,” Roman commented

“I believe you may have a point,” The SCP Researcher said. “Though I think we should first examine what’s in that box before we use anything else. For all we know they could have-”

“DIBS!” Latia cried as she snatched the box into her hands. She looked at the others who glared at her. “What? I’m going to go fix up Tyler first. I’m the only one he trusts after all. See ya!” She said as she rushed out of the building.

“Wait, come back… Bitch!” The Naval Commander cursed.

“Hey everyone, I took a look in the kitchen and there doesn’t seem to be any… Oh! You found one, how wonderful!” Janna said as she entered back into the mess hall and saw that they had found a medikit.

“No shit, Sherlock.” Wolfgang responded. “Actually if you want to be useful, make me some tea. I’m parched.”

“She is injured, you should get that yourself.” Joan said with an icy stare.

Janna waved her hands in front of her. “No its fine.” She said, flinching in pain. “I’ll get that tea for you right away.”

“In that case I’ll have some too. Dealing with you lot is thirsty work,” Erick added as he took a seat.

“Well love, while you’re at it, could you see if they have any crisps back there? I haven’t wanted to get rid of such a sweet taste in my mouth since I raided the tombs of the chocolate worshiping tribes of Mexico!” Roman said, placing his feet up on the table.

Janna’s eye twitched slightly as she looked at the Treasure Hunter. “Yes, coming right up… Roman,” she said as she turned around and limped back into the kitchen.

* * *

**09:30 A.M Day Two**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

Latia walked around the back of the Mess Hall, looking for Tyler. Her eyes scanned for the boy, though at first to no avail. Then after a moment of wondering, she looked at one of the railings of the platform and saw him. He appeared to be crying, which made her grin with glee.

“Hey, Tyler. You alright?” She asked sweetly.

“Fuck off!” He shouted, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes.

The Coffee Maker skipped over, bounding with energy.

“Aww, what’s wrong? Did Wolfy upset you?”

“No!” He shouted, “I just have something in my eye, that’s all.”

He paused. “Lala… are you sure that this is all just a prank?” He asked hopefully.

Latia rolled her eyes. “Is that what’s worrying you? Like I said, this is all just a sick joke. I overheard the men talking about it when they thought I wasn’t listening,” she said with a wink as she opened the medikit and took out some cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol. “I guess they went a little overboard with you guys. Let’s get those wounds cleaned up.”

Tyler hesitated for a moment, before holding out one of his arms. Latia examined the cut carefully and then dabbed some of the soaked cotton swabs onto it, causing the boy to cry out in pain.

“Come on, it's just a bit of pain. A strong guy like you isn’t actually a total pussy, is he?” The girl asked.

“N-no,” Tyler responded, gritting his teeth.

After a few moments the Coffee Maker finished her work and put the materials back in the kit. Having another look at the bottles inside of the kit, a smile came to her face as she looked back up at the boy.

“Look, I know it's been rough for you but I’ll make it up to you. How about tomorrow we meet up? We can hang out and I'll make some more special coffee for you, my treat,” she asked with a wink.

The Battle Royal Player rubbed his still stinging cuts and said, “Yeah, that’d be cool...”

“Then it’s a date!” She exclaimed. “We better get back to the others, we’ve just got to get through more of these trials and we’ll be rich and famous afterwards! You go on ahead, I just need to store this kit somewhere safe. Sound good to you?”

“Sure…” He responded. “Listen, Lala, thanks for letting me know what was happening when we first got here. I almost started to panic.”

“Oh it’s no problem!” She replied cheerfully, before Tyler slowly made his way back to the mess hall.

She took one more look at him as she headed towards the barracks, before a dark shadow fell over her face and a sick twisted grin formed behind her mask.

“You’ll have time to do that later…”

* * *

**2:00 P.M Day Two**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Warehouse**

"This is fucking nightmare,” Elizabeth said as she rubbed her face and slumped against the metal wall. "I don't know how much more of this shit I can take. These breaks almost make it worse as you don't know what they’re cooking up next."

Kiyoshi let out a moan. "I know. I'm so scared... These tortures are so painful, and they're getting right into my head. I've been making such a fool of myself!"

Tala growled as she clenched her bloodied hands. "Don't let those bastards get the best of you, that's what they want. Don't give them the satisfaction."

“A-at this rate they’re gonna kill us...” Nolan whimpered, his eyes shut and his body shaky. “This is awful, why us?”

The Businesswoman took a deep breath. "I don't get it, what the fuck are these people playing at? None of the other games had this military bullshit going on. This doesn't make any sense."

Kiyoshi looked at Tala imploringly. "I don't understand why we have to be here. I always try to be good! And you're such a loving big sis! Everyone in this room is nice..."

Tala wrapped an arm around the Voice Actor, hugging him close to her bosom. "Sadly sometimes bad shit happens to good people. I've seen enough of it in my time to know that. These people are monsters, they just want others to suffer."

Nolan curled up into a ball, hugging himself tightly. “These days it feels like a curse to be an Ultimate student, getting picked off one by one to play in these twisted games... I never asked for this!”

"It’s fine, we'll get through this!" Elizabeth shouted, before panting. "Sorry, this is all too much. Let's try and get out mind off of this." She looked at Kiyoshi. "You know we've been in this game for two days now and I still barely know you guys. Let’s try and fix that. Kiyoshi, I hear you're a voice actor. What stuff were you in before all this? Anything we'd know about?"

Kiyoshi tapped his chin with his feathery, clawed hand. "Well, the biggest thing recently is Fortnite, but I've been in a lot of video games and anime. Voice acting isn't just my job. It's my passion!" He beamed.

Elizabeth groaned. "Oh fuck me... Sorry, it’s just after Tyler I don't think I ever want to see that game again."

“Agreed. What utter garbage,” Nolan muttered under his breath. “Please, anything but that...”

Tala laughed heartily. "That's the spirit! At least that kid's good for something... Anyway if you're gonna ask me there's not really much to say. I mostly make things like jewellery, clothing, furniture and the like. I take pride in never wasting any of my materials, I guess my tribe taught me to be eco-friendly."

Kiyoshi smiled at the Artisan. "Aw, that's great, big sis! I mean, the environment's really important!" He cleared his throat, blushing slightly at Nolan. "How about you, Nolan? I-I've always wanted to make an ice sculpture..."

“Oh, um, well...” The blue eyed boy looked away, slightly embarrassed. “I grew up in a small Inuit tribe in Northern Canada, and of course I was always surrounded by snow and ice. Turns out I always just had an affinity for it, I always have liked sculpting things I like and find pretty. Ah, that reminds me...” Nolan trailed off, rustling through his coat pocket as he pulled out a small figurine that looked just like the business woman.

“Elizabeth, this is for you. Um, I made this as a thanks for helping me calm my nerves when we first woke up. It’s covered in a protective layer so it won’t ever melt. I hope you’ll always treasure it.” The boy smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Elizabeth took it into her hands readily and smiled. "Aww, thank you Nolan," she said, leaning in and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "You are such a nice guy. You're a treasure with the amount of pricks in this game."

"Awww, that's such a sweet gift! Elizabeth, Nolan..." Kiyoshi looked at them both in turn before quickly looking down. "Can we be friends? You're so nice and I'd really love your support!"

Nolan’s face was beet red, and he placed a hand over his chest happily. “Sure! Truth is, I’ve been meaning to chat with you for a while now, Kiyoshi! You seem like a great guy... I think I’ll make an ice sculpture of you too, if that’s ok! Your wings are super-duper pretty!”

Kiyoshi blushed, fluttering his wings at the compliment. "Thanks! I really love them too! And a sculpture would be amazing, I'll try to help if I can!"

The Artisan grinned. “Sounds like a plan. You two are good people, I can smell it.”

The Businesswoman smiled. "Well then it's settled. We’ll stick together."

She paused, smile fading.

"Look if we're friends now there's something I need to tell you guys. It might be nothing but I'm starting to think I wasn't picked for this game randomly."

Tala raised an eyebrow. "Really, why's that?"

“I think I may feel the same way too...” Nolan mused, raising a hand to his chin in thought. “Besides, in most killing games in the past, the participants have almost always served some sort of purpose...”

The Businesswoman sighed. "Well in my case it’s a bit more than that. You see running Grey Co has earned me a lot of enemies, and of course there have been a lot of people out there that want some of my wealth. Well, before the tragedy the last people that tried to gain access to us... was the Towa Group."

Kiyoshi gasped. "Towa?! Wasn't Monaca Towa the name of that really creepy girl who showed up in Kuma Kuma Land?" He shivered. "Sorry, watching that game really scared me..."

Tala felt her skin crawl. "Holy shit, Monaca and the Warriors of Hope did more than that. They were the fucking masterminds!"

“Hm, the smart green haired girl... she was pretty sadistic... wait, you don’t think she’s behind this, do you? Isn’t she dead?” Nolan asked curiously.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I wish I knew... Anyway, chances are it’s probably nothing. They never got anything from us anyway, I made sure of it, its times like this I'm glad we're not on the stock market."

Suddenly an alarm went off, and footsteps could be heard outside the door.

"Shit, break's over. Look, for now could you guys keep this to yourselves? I don't want this to cause any issues before we even know if it means anything."

"You got my word, Liz. If they have anything to do with this we'll find out." Tala responded.

"Sure, I won't say anything." Kiyoshi swallowed nervously. "Bye, guys. Please take care of yourselves."

“Right. You all are the only ones I trust right now, my lips are sealed!” The Ice Sculptor replied, sealing his lips with his hand dramatically. “Stay safe everyone.”

* * *

**08:00 P.M Day Two**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**_“Well cadets, you made it through the first day of training. You should all feel very proud of yourselves,”_** Quackers said to the gathered cadets. The cadets were all in various states of damage, some more than others, but all had now seen first-hand the punishment that this game could dish out.

“Now do you see? You threw everything you could at us and we did not break. You have failed,” Pietro said defiantly.

The Sergeant grinned. **_“You may have completed this day of training, but remember you still have a long schedule ahead of you. Since you all now have your uniforms I think you all deserve some extra time to get ready. Let’s say we’ll from now on we’ll start at 7AM, that sound fair to you all?”_**

A small sigh of relief went through the gathered cadets.

“Well at least we’re not getting woken up quite as early. We can actually catch up on our beauty sleep,” Henriette said, trying to bring levity to the situation.

Anastasia rubbed the bandaged wound on her head. “Yeah, it ain’t much but I think I might have a concussion, so it’ll have to do.”

**_“Marvellous to hear you all approve… Because after that we’ll be training until 3AM the next morning. Four hours of sleep should be more than enough and I think it's time you all got some more experience with night operations.”_ **

The cadets almost fell over as the news dawned on them.

“W-what!? You can’t do this, you’ll kill us!” Nolan shouted as he began to tremble.

**_“Well I just did, soldier! You know if you really don’t want this to continue, all you have to do is kill one of your fellow cadets. Given everyone’s condition at the moment that shouldn’t be too difficult, even for a spineless coward like yourself.”_ **

“This… is an outrage!” Yijun shouted hoarsely through his battered throat. “Torturing us with this sick ‘training’ until one of us breaks? Have you no honour!?”

Quackers scoffed. **_“On a battlefield the only thing honour will get you is a bullet in the back of your head. In war the only path to victory is to destroy your enemy, to kill them, their wives, their children and their homes until not even the foul memory of their existence can linger as a threat. The hope in your hearts is my enemy. I will reach into your chest and crush it until you realise that only by embracing despair will you active victory!”_**

His eyes glowed maliciously before he was suddenly joined at his side by the bear monstrosity from before. **_“But I’m getting a little ahead of myself, aren't I? First we need to get you all cleaned up!”_** He glanced to the bear at his side, who was now carrying an extremely large hose that was pointed at the group. “ ** _Lance Corporal Bearington, give them a nice cold shower.”_**

The bear growled as it suddenly activated the water cannon in its paws and an extremely fast and large spray of ice cold water sprayed the cadets where they stood. Tala and Kiyoshi were the first to get hit and were sent flying backwards across the metal floor behind them.

“What the fu-” Roman tried to shout before he too was sprayed in the face and knocked back against the floor.

“Get behind me!” Yijun shouted as he stood in front of Elizabeth and Nolan. As he felt the full force of the water he stood his ground, determined to protect those that could not stand to its might. 

Soon Wolfgang also jumped behind them.

“I’m not getting wet, not with how much this suit cost,” he said as he ducked behind Nolan.

“Well that's very considerate of you.” Elizabeth responded sarcastically.

“No, please no,” Tyler muttered to himself, before Joan suddenly stood in front of him.

“I will protect this child,” She said as she faced the mechanical horror. The bear turned to her and sprayed her with the full force of the cannon. As Tyler looked through the water spray he saw Joan get absolutely soaked, the water digging into her body like nails.

Soon the water stopped, and the majority of the cadets where either moaning in pain or silently shocked from the cold.

 ** _“There we go, saves you having to wash them tonight. Well now that’s over with you are at ease. Enjoy this night of sleep, it’ll be the last good one you’ll get.”_** The Sergeant said as he transformed his arms into wings and once more flew away. 

The cadets on the floor slowly got up, shivering from the cold.

“Sister, are you okay!?” The Inquisitor shouted as he rushed over to the Nun, who collapsed on her knees.

“More… give me more. That was amazing!” The Nun said as she looked at him, face flushed and panting with joy.

Pietro’s eyes widened in confusion as he observed the aroused Nun.

“Just for your info, that girl is into some freaky shit.” The Mercenary said as she slowly composed herself.

* * *

**08:00 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Barracks**

Katsumi sat in the lounge, drinking a cup of coffee as he sat on the sofa. For a while now he had flicked through the television channels, trying to see if there was any information of use to them, but so far he had had little luck.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps walk down the hallway and a knock on the door.

“Lala! Are you there? Tyler’s voice suddenly asked, followed by another knock on the door.

Katsumi got up from his seat, turning off the television, and walked into the hallway to see Tyler knocking on Latia’s door.

“Hey, kid. What’s up?” The Fisherman asked.

Tyler looked towards him. “You seen where Lala is? I think she ditched me or something.”

Katsumi crossed his arms. “Ditched you? What do you mean by that?”

Before Tyler could respond, Nolan suddenly opened his door, still in his sky blue silk pyjamas.

“Hey guys,” he said with a yawn. “What’s going on?”

“Yo, smurf boy,” Tyler said. “You seen Lala? I’ve been looking all over for her.”

Nolan rubbed his eyes. “Well maybe she’s still asleep? Yesterday was very draining.”

The Battle Royal Player looked back at the door, before banging on it, hard.

“LALA, WAKE THE FUCK UP!” He shouted.

“Will you shut the fuck up!?” Anastasia exclaimed as she exited her room. “My fucking head is killing me! What time is it anyway!?”

Tyler looked at his wrist mounted field guide. “Says its 8AM, who gives a fuck!? And I got up early for Lala’s bullshit as well.”

“Wait, hang on. It's 8AM already?” Katsumi asked as he checked his guide as well. “Jesus, watching TV really does make you zone out.”

“Yeah, I stopped watching that bullshit a _long_ time ago. It's a complete waste of… Wait, did you just say 8AM?” The Mercenary asked.

“Yeah, what's the problem?” The Fisherman responded.

The Mercenary suddenly looked very worried. “Dude, what the fuck is going on? Don’t you guys remember? Quackers said we were going to have to do his training at 7.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. We didn’t get dragged out of bed this time… Well maybe he just forgot?” Nolan mused.

“I highly doubt that. Quackers wouldn’t forget something like this on the second day, that never happened in any of the other games,” the Fisherman responded.

Nolan thought for a moment. “Assuming Quackers didn’t forget, if we didn’t get woken up then that means that training isn’t happening anymore. B-but the only reason that would happen is if…”

Nolan’s face turned white and he began to shake. “Guys, you don’t think someone was m-murdered do you?”

You could have heard a penny drop in the hallway, as the gathered cadets felt a sense of horror dawn on them.

“Out the way!” Anastasia commanded as she pushed Tyler aside and hammered on Latia’s door. “Latia! Are you in there?” She hammered on the door again. “LATIA!”

“Shit…” Katsumi said. “Nolan, check the rooms! Wake everyone up!”

“O-okay,” Nolan responded, shaking like a leaf as he ran to Elizabeth’s door and began to knock.

Tyler started to go pale and his body went as stiff as a board as he began to hyperventilate.

“Okay, that’s enough. I don’t want to be on this show anymore. I don’t care if I don’t become rich and famous,” He muttered to himself.

“Stand back!” Anastasia said as she backed up and prepared herself. “I’m going to kick the door down.”

“What is going on?” Yijun asked as he exited his room, only to be greeted by the sound of the Ultimate Mercenary striking Latia’s door with a swift kick. “What on earth are you doing?”

“Yijun, give me a hand here. Latia’s gone missing, we need to check her room,” the girl said.

The Monk nodded and stood next to the Mercenary. “Alright on my mark we both kick the door down. 3, 2, 1!” At the final number they both kicked the door with their full strength and the door flew off its hinges with a thunderous crash.

“What’s that, an earthquake!?” Roman exclaimed as he stumbled out of his room.

As Anastasia and Yijun looked around Latia’s room, they saw the medikit open on a side table, as well as some tables and chairs. But nothing else.

“No its not, you damn fool! Latia’s gone missing and she’s not in her room.” 

Roman was taken aback. “Oh shit…”

“What is this commotion all about!?” The Naval Commander shouted as she exited her room. “Why did you kick that door-”

 ** _“If I have to hear you lot explain what’s happening one more time I think I’ll start to moult!”_** Quackers’ voice suddenly rang out across the speakers. **_“Now normally I’d let you scout your surroundings and find the casualty yourself. But we have a busy day ahead of us so I’m going to speed this up with some free intel. Check the warehouse, it seems Latia is now finally as black as her coffee…”_**

As the speakers shut off, the rest of the cadets finally exited her room. 

“Latia? Is she okay!?” Kiyoshi said as he rushed out of his room. 

“Nah, you heard what the duck said. I think Latia was the first victim,” Tala said grimly.

“No, this can’t be happening.” Henriette said as she hugged herself in fear.

“So it seems you all finally noticed that the training didn’t happen on time? Pity, I was hoping for some more beauty sleep,” Erick commented.

“Shut up asshole!” Elizabeth replied.

“No, NO! This is bullshit! I can’t take this anymore!” Tyler shouted. “Latia told me the truth! This entire thing’s a sick joke! Please just let me off this shithole, I don’t want to do this anymore!”

“What are you talking about you idiot?” Wolfgang asked.

“Tyler, please calm down,” Joan said.

“No, fuck you! Get away from me! LALA!” Tyler shouted as he ran past the others and out of the barracks.

The Businesswoman ran a hand through her hair. “We better get out there and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

Kiyoshi looked in the direction he had ran out. 

“Yeah, I guess…” He said sadly.

* * *

**8:15 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Warehouse**

The cadets rushed out of the barracks in haste as they headed towards the warehouse. They reached the door when a piercing scream suddenly rang out from inside.

Opening the doors they shuffled in and what they saw horrified them.

As Quackers had said, Latia Cappuchi, the Ultimate Innovative Coffee Maker, was dead. She was laid out on the floor half inside of a tipped over barrel that had been filled with oil, which now soaked her dead body. Tyler Wick stood in horror looking at the scene, crying uncontrollably as he looked at her stained black body. Not much could be made of her face, but it looked like he had died quite violently.

The speakers once more faired to life.

 ** _“And to the surprise of no one, Private Cappuchi is in fact the first casualty. I will be there in a moment to provide the casualty report. Then after a chance to investigate, the court martial will finally begin!”_** Quackers said as the speakers once more went silent.

* * *

Author’s note: Special thanks to JCW18 and Parafin for helping me RP the section with their boys. You guys did great! And as always, thanks to MudkipOfDespair and StoryProducer214 for being my betas.

* * *

**Review Section:**

bellatrixshine: Well sorry to say this, but you're probably going to feel far more sorry for him now!

doomqwer: Very awkward…

Sparten2121: Well it's the one that torturers Tyler, apparently.

Trygve11: Well now you have your answer.

BirblordAlmighty: Thanks, with Richards you know they are going to show up once in a while.

LckiKoin: Thanks. Now more suffering!


	8. Spread Out and Search

**08:20 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Warehouse**

There was a long moment of silence as the group realised what they were looking at. There, lying dead in a puddle of crude oil, was Latia. They hadn’t wanted to believe what Quackers had said was true, but it was undeniable. 

Latia was dead, and now one of them was now a murderer.

“Holy shit!” Katsumi shouted as he stumbled back into some boxes. “W-what the fuck!?”

“LATIA!” Janna screamed as she began to shake uncontrollably.

“So it's true. Goddamnit!” Elizabeth grimaced, gritting her teeth. 

“No. This can’t be happening...” Kiyoshi muttered, hugging Tala tightly.

“W-what do we do now?” Nolan asked, pulling the brim of his hat down in fear.

“What we always do after a murder. It’s the same in every game,” Pietro said grimly.

 ** _“You’re certainly right about that, reverend,”_** Quackers suddenly said as he walked into the warehouse, flanked by a couple of masked men. **_“However don’t think that your experiences in Florence will do you any good this time. You’re in my camp now and here we do things a little bit differently.”_**

“What do you mean by that!?” Tala said, almost snarling at him.

The Sergeant smiled. **_“All of you, check your field guides. A copy of the casualty report has now been uploaded to each of them.”_**

Slowly each cadet looked at the device on their wrist and clicked on the pop up that had appeared on their screen, the only exception being Tyler, who seemed almost unaware of the world around him.

It read as follows:

* * *

**Skyford Bootcamp Casualty Report #1**

**Casualty identity: Latia Cappuchi**

**“The casualty was found half inside of a metal drum in a puddle of crude oil within the warehouse. While her loss is a blow to coffee fanatics worldwide, her death won’t affect day to day boot camp activities.”**

* * *

“What the-? Where’s the rest of it?” Anastasia asked as she tried to scroll for more information, and finding none.

**_“There is no ‘rest of it’, Private Klevorick.”_ **

“Is this some kind of joke!? This doesn’t tell us anything!” The Inquisitor shouted in disbelief.

**_“The idiots that ran your previous game may have been willing to give you everything on a silver platter, but here you’ll have to actually work for your information.”_ **

“Oh come on, this isn’t fair! We aren't detectives, how are we supposed to solve the crime like this?” Roman asked.

Quackers rolled his eyes before shocking the Treasure Hunter, causing him to collapse onto the ground in convulsions.

**_“You will solve this mystery through teamwork with your fellow cadets. You will search the platform, take testimonies and perform your own autopsy. If you are not capable of finding the identity of the traitor without my help, then as far as I am concerned you are failures. And, if it hasn’t been made abundantly clear yet, I don’t accept failure...”_ **

“Alright we get it! Jesus fuck!” Roman cried as he slowly crawled back onto his feet.

Yijun stared coldly at the Sergeant. “If that is how it is going to be then so be it. We will never give in to the likes of you!”

 ** _“We’ll see about that,”_** he responded sinisterly. **_“You all have one hour to perform your investigation. Afterwards you will all be called to the central platform, where the court martial will be held. However I do recommend that you don’t search on your own, after all,”_** he looked at Tyler, **_“someone could take advantage of the chaos to strike.”_**

Tyler slowly looked up at Quackers, his eyes wide in fear and full of tears. “W-what?”

 ** _But I’m sure nothing of that sort could possibly happen. Good luck everyone!”_** He announced mockingly as he turned tail and walked outside, followed by his guards.

Cecelia took a deep breath, looking over the others. “Everyone, if we are going to solve this then we need to get organized. First, can anyone here perform an autopsy?”

“I believe I will able to do that,” Dr Richards piped up. “However I will need some tools in order to do so; some knives and saws would be preferable.”

The Inquisitor nodded. “I’ll see what I can find in the kitchen. While we are performing that task, we should also collect testimonies about the moments leading up to discovering Latia.” His gaze fell on the Battle Royal Player. “Tyler! You were awake before most of us, tell us what you know.”

Tyler suddenly felt all eyes lay on him as looked around in a panic.

“No! Don’t hurt me!” He started to cry hysterically.

“Answer the question!” Wolfgang added impatiently.

“Get away from me!” Tyler screamed as he suddenly bolted from his position and ran past the others and outside of the warehouse.

“Shouting at the traumatised child for answers? Well, that was very effective,” Erick commented sarcastically as he crossed his arms.

The Saxophonist marched up to the Engineer, getting in his face. “What is your problem you Hurensohn? I don’t need a lowborn like you giving me cheek!” He said prodding him hard in the chest.

“Don’t touch me, Wolfgang, if you know what’s best for you,” Erick responded calmly but firmly with an unblinking gaze.

“ENOUGH!” The Naval Commander shouted, clicking her heels. “Both of you!” I will not allow this bickering to interfere with the investigation!”

Wolfgang glared back at the Commander, before looking at the other onlookers, before he stepped back, fixing his suit.

“Of course. That was undignified of me. This cretin isn’t worth it.”

Pietro nodded at Cecelia, before turning his attention to the nun. “Sister, while I get the tools for the autopsy, could you find Tyler and get his testimony? I get the feeling that it will be needed.”

“Of course, Father,” Joan answered flatly.

“And while you’re there, could you pick up that medikit that was in Latia’s room? That might be important,” the Mercenary added.

The Nun nodded slowly to her, before she left the building.

The Inquisitor turned to the others. “As for the rest of you, split up and search the platforms for evidence.”

He turned his gaze towards the Fisherman, who had just gotten back to his feet. He looked white as a sheet in deeply in shock. 

“Katsumi, are you okay?” He asked.

Katsumi cleared his throat. “Y-yes. We need to make sure we search everywhere we can, we need to find out what really happened.”

“Good thinking. However I will stay with the Doctor until you collect his tools. We can’t risk him tampering with evidence,” Erick said.

“Unnecessary, but understandable,” the SCP Researcher replied.

“Understood. May God be with us,” The Cardinal said as he crossed his arms.

* * *

**08:30 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Mess Hall**

"Spread out and search. We need to make sure that we cover every inch of this area," Cecelia commanded as she, Nolan, Kiyoshi and Yijun all entered the mess hall.

As they opened the doors the first thing in the room that they noticed was that on one of the central tables, two coffees were placed next to each other.

"Well, it’s clear that Latia was here before she died. I’d recognise those coffees anywhere," the Monk added as he pointed to the drinks.

Kiyoshi hummed thoughtfully. “There’s two drinks... someone else must have been with Latia. I wonder what they were doing here?”

Nolan approached the drinks, frowning as he inspected them carefully. “They’re cold, so I’m assuming it has been a fair amount of time since they were made. It’s clear she was meeting with someone... but, um... was she the one that wanted to meet up with somebody, or vice versa?”

Yijun stepped forward, looking at the drinks. "That's strange, take a look at this one." He said, picking one of them up. "This glass is only half full and if you look at the rim here, it appears someone took a sip of it." **_TRUTH BULLET_**

Kiyoshi’s wings fluttered nervously. “I hope nobody poisoned it or anything...”

The Naval Commander's eyes narrowed. "See if there is any more information around your location, I will take a sweep of the kitchen," she said as she walked into the back kitchen.

"Poison, you say?" Yijun wondered. "Such a cowardly way to slay another, but I don't remember ever seeing any poison in our time here."

“Doesn't mean it was not hidden somewhere, and the killer found it...” Nolan frowned worriedly, his eyes widening as he spotted something under the table. “Guys, take a look at this!” The blue eyed boy exclaimed, pulling out what appeared to be a small fishing hook from under the table. **_TRUTH BULLET_**

Kiyoshi gasped as he studied the fish hook. “Great job, Nolan! I have no idea what this could’ve been used for... Sorry, I-I can’t think all that straight right now. Anyone got ideas?”

The Monk frowned. "I don't want to lay the blame on anyone so soon, but I only know of one fisherman amongst us."

“N-no! That can’t be right!” Nolan cried out, his eyes wide. “Katsumi is super nice, he wouldn’t do anything like this... right?”

Kiyoshi nodded his head vigorously. “Totally! I would’ve died if he didn’t save me the other day!”

"I found something!" Cecelia shouted from the back as she walked back into the hall, carrying something. "This was next to some bags of coffee beans, I believe that it was what you would call a coffee grinder. However when I opened it, I found this."

As she finished she opened the lid of the grinder and showed it to the others. Along the typical coffee grains, it was mixed with a strange white power. **_TRUTH BULLET_**

Kiyoshi put his hand over his mouth as he gasped. “Oh, no... I hoped I was wrong, but that’s gotta be poison... Where could they have gotten this from?”

The Monk looked at the powder curiously. "This makes no sense. Given what Tyler said about trying to meet Latia before her death, I have to assume that she was the one that did this. But then why did she end up the one who died?"

“Maybe she mixed up the drinks?” Nolan suggested, scratching his head. “Though, even if she did do something so dumb... it does not explain how she ended up in that barrel...”

The Naval commander growled. "If only we had agreed to a leadership that first night, none of this would have happened. If we survive this trial there will never be another incident like this again, not on my watch!" She shouted before storming out of the building.

The Monk sighed as he watched the Commander leave. "While I doubt anyone could have stopped this, I can understand her frustration." He turned to the boys. "Listen, if we are going to get through this then we must stay strong. Otherwise I fear that they may divide us."

Kiyoshi nodded nervously. “I’ll be as strong as I can. But I need you guys,” he turned to Nolan with a scared look in his eyes. “P-Please don’t leave me...!”

The Ice Sculptor’s face heated up red in surprise, as he lowered the brim of his cap. “O-of course, just promise me the same thing too!”

Kiyoshi grinned at the boy. “Thanks! I promise as well!”

* * *

**08:40 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Barracks**

"No, fuck off! Get away from me!" Tyler shouted from behind his bedroom door. "Please don't kill me!"

"Tyler, I will not murder you," Joan tried to sound reassuring, but it came off as flat. "It would go against my faith to kill a child."

There was a moment of silence.

"Why should I believe you? Latia told me this was all a prank and now she's dead!"

 _"A prank? Just what has that woman been telling him?"_ The Nun thought, narrowing her eyes, before speaking up. "The others have told me to get your testimony."

There was some shuffling from behind the door before the boy opened it slightly, peeking through a crack.

"What do you want me to say!? There's no point, we're all going to die..."

"Tyler, just tell me where you were prior to discovering Latia's body." the albino spoke rather softly, "I fear that the others would possibly suspect you as her murderer, and I do not want to see any harm befall you."

The Battle Royal Player tried to slow down his breathing, before he began to speak.

"Latia wanted to meet me this morning, before Quackers forced us up for training. I think I overslept but I left and looked for her in the mess hall, like we had said, but she wasn't there. I-I then had a look around for her but couldn't find her, so I came back to her room." **_TRUTH BULLET_**

"I see then, what did Latia want to you for?" She asked.

"She said she wanted to cheer me up since the training was getting rough. So she was going to make some special coffees for me. But when I got there all I saw were two coffees on a table," he responded.

 _"Cheer him up? Why do I find that hard to believe?"_ Joan mentally asked herself, before saying, "Who did you run into along the way?"

He paused.

"N-no one. The first person I saw was Katsumi who was already awake in the lounge watching TV." **_TRUTH BULLET_**

The Nun nodded at this information, before asking, "Is there anything left that you know?"

"No, I don't know anything!" He responded as he started to become emotional again. "Why me? Why am I in a killing game? It's not fair!"

"I believe I cannot provide answers on that," she started, before walking towards the boy. "Would you mind stepping out for a minute?"

"W-why, what do you want?" He said, unmoving but opening the door slightly wider.

"Just step out and you will find out why," Joan closed her eyes "I assure you that I will not harm you in any way."

He wiped a tear from his eye, before taking a step outside his room.

In an instant, the albino immediately grabbed the boy by his shoulders and pulled him into a hug.

Tyler was shocked for a moment, but then returned the hug and began to sob into her shoulder.

"Why did Lala have to die? She was my friend..."

Joan remained silent, thinking about what to say next, before saying "I believe that we can only find out once the others find out who murdered her,” she continued, her voice becoming noticeably soft, "I know that I must deliver your testimony to the others, but I will not leave a child in such emotional distress," she said, memories coming back to her.

"Y-yeah..." Tyler said as he pulled away. "We'll-we'll find the motherfuckers who killed Lala and make them pay!" he said, trying to recompose himself.

He took a deep breath. "Joan... don't tell the others I said this... but thank you. I-I needed that..."

"Of course," the Nun said, her lips twitching upwards to form a ghost of a smile "If you ever need someone to confide in, I will gladly do so for you."

"...Okay. I-I guess we should get going," he responded.

"Before we leave, I believe that I need the medkit from Latia's room first," she said, her smile quickly becoming a fine line

He looked at her curiously. "Why? I don't see how that's got anything to do with this."

"The others believe that it must have something to do with her murder," Joan answered simply, closing her eyes.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Tyler said quietly.

* * *

**08:50 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

“Alright everyone, let’s try and make this as quick and precise as we can. We don’t want any errors in our stories so please try to remember you testimony as best to your ability as you can,” Henriette said as she Wolfgang, Janna, Katsumi and Roman all gathered in the marching square.

Wolfgang folded his arms. “While I think this will be an exercise in futility, I’ll go first. I went to bed around 10PM last night after our day of humiliation and I didn’t wake up until the ones in the hallway started making a racket. As such I only saw Latia dead when everyone else did.”

Henriette nodded her head. “Very good, Wolfgang.” She turned to Janna. “What about you Jenny?”

The Gemologist rubbed her arm, still in shock from seeing the body. “I-I’m sorry but I went to sleep and woke up around the same time Wolfgang did. So I don’t think I can be of much help...”

The Flutist nodded. “Roman?”

“My story’s the same, luv. Woke up, thought an earthquake had hit and next thing I know, Coffee Girl is dead,” Roman replied with a shrug.

Henriette sighed in frustration. “And my story’s the same! They make this look so much easier in the other games.” **_TRUTH BULLET_**

“Don’t quit so easily. One of us could be lying about our story and we also have one more person to ask,” he said, turning to the Fisherman, who still looked very pale. “If I remember the voices I heard correctly, he was one of the first people awake this morning.”

Katsumi blinked his eyes momentarily before facing the Saxophonist.

“Yes, that’s true. I woke up early this morning and, like I usually do, I went outside and did some stretches near the edge of the platform to catch the morning seabreeze. Afterwards I headed back inside and… for some reason decided to watch the TV. I must have zoned out because next thing I know Tyler walked into the hall and started banging on Latia’s door,” he replied, his voice controlled but slightly shaky. **_TRUTH BULLET_**

Wolfgang raised an eyebrow. “ _That’s_ your testimony?” he asked in a deadpan manner.

“Did you see or hear anything? You went outside, did you see Latia?” Henriette asked, clearly confused.

The Fisherman paused, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “No. I didn’t see anyone until Tyler knocked on Latia’s door. Sorry,” he replied.

“I see... Would you excuse us one moment?” Wolfgang asked as he motioned to the Pianist. “I need to discuss something.”

“Of course. Do what you have to do.” The Fisherman replied with a nod.

Wolfgang and Henriette walked away from the others, before Wolfgang leaned in close to her and said, “That has got to be the absolute worst alibi I have ever heard. Either that dummkopf can’t remember anything to exonerate himself or he is the worst murderer on the planet.”

The Flutist's eyes blinked with anxiety. “No, it can’t be. Katsumi is such a good man, he would never do something like this!”

“Well if these killing games should teach us anything, it's that so called ‘good men’ can turn out to be anything but,” the Saxophonist replied.

“Whatever the case we shouldn’t accuse anyone yet. We need to find out everything we can first,” Henriette added quickly.

“If you insist,” Wolfgang said before he turned and walked back to the others with the girl in tow.

Henriette cleared her throat. “Now we have sorted our testimonies, we should all get to work looking for clues. Wolfgang and I will search the showers, and you three can check the tower.”

“Sounds alright. You two ready to rock?” Roman asked with a grin.

“Y-yes,” Janna said.

“Of course. We afford to make any mistakes,” Katsumi finished.

* * *

**09:00 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Warehouse**

"Finally back then? You took your sweet time, the Doctor here seems to be a little too obsessed with dead bodies for my taste," Erick said as the Inquisitor entered the building.

"Hush boy! An examination such as this requires extreme precision," Dr Richards said as he continued to wipe the oil away from Latia's neck and head with the bottom of his lab coat and stared at her intently.

Pietro briefly glanced at Erick, before kneeling next to Richards, and putting down a series of knives from the kitchen. “Here you go, Doctor. I did my best to try and get as many decent knives as I could for the autopsy. Hopefully what I could get from the kitchen will suffice.”

"Yes, yes, it should," the researcher said hurriedly as he lifted the now cleaned head of the coffee maker up. "Here, take a look at this. Around her neck. These appear to be strangle marks. May need a second opinion, what's yours?"

Pietro leaned forward, intently studying Latia’s neck for a good minute. “It seems to be...strangle marks, I think. From someone’s bare hands too, I’d wager. Definitely adult hands too, not someone young: so we can certainly rule out Tyler.” **_TRUTH BULLET_**

"So she was strangled to death? Well that was surprisingly easy," Erick commented with a raised eyebrow.

"No, we can't be sure of that for now. Because it appears she suffered more injuries than that." He tilted her head to the side. "See here? There appears to also be bludgeoning marks on her skull. Quite nasty ones too, that along with her being submerged when Tyler found her make determining cause of death impossible without further investigation." **_TRUTH BULLET_**

“So an autopsy really will be necessary then,” Pietro sighed. He glanced at Latia again, murmuring a quick prayer for her soul before moving on. “All right, Doc. What’s next?”

The doctor looked through the bag of kitchen equipment, before pulling out a steak knife and a bone saw.

"A little cruder than I'm used to but it'll have to do..." He muttered to himself, before he plunged the knife into her chest. He sliced open her torso from neck to stomach, blood squirting all over him before he put the knife down and grabbed the bone saw.

"The possibility of drowning cannot be ruled out at the moment. Only checking her lungs for oil will settle that matter," he said calmly as the saw scraped and crunched through her ribcage, causing bone fragments to shower his surroundings.

"Jesus!" Erick said as he averted his gaze from the gory sight.

Pietro grimaced in distaste, but didn’t look away. It was a gruesome sight, but far from the goriest thing he’d seen since becoming a soldier.

"Ah ha!" Richards cheered as he reached the lungs. He reached back to the knife and cut into it. As he did, he found no oil inside of it.

"Well it's settled then. Latia did not drown in the oil, which means that she must have been dead before she was placed into the drum." **_TRUTH BULLET_** "Now the question becomes why the murderer would do such a thing?"

“That is a very good question, Doctor,” Pietro agreed, rubbing his chin in thought. “Perhaps it was meant to obscure the manner of death in some way? But then...why not set the body on fire too? It would have been a fairly easy task.”

"Or the better question is why didn't they just throw her off the side of the platform?" Erick commented with a frown. "If they had then our dear Coffee Maker would have been fish food and we would be down a body to investigate."

"That's a good point, Erick. You certainly aren't stupid." The doctor responded as he put the knife down. "Well, if a despair did this then it might have been done for maximum physiological trauma. Not that that applies to me but I'm not exactly a normal case," he said with a chuckle.

“Hmph, whatever the case may be, the mystery seems to only be deepening. More questions for every answer we get...” Pietro replied. “Well, is there anything else, Doctor? I don’t suppose you could estimate her time of death in some way?”

The SCP Researcher sighed. "Well the body looks fresh, so I have to assume it was relatively recently. I'd give it three hours maximum, however that is not a scientific theory. Call that intuition." **_TRUTH BULLET_**

"Look, there has to be something else," Erick said in frustration as he kneeled beside Latia's body. "Now let's see here... Is there anything in her pockets?" He said as he felt through her clothes. Then as he was nearly finished he felt something in her right pocket.

"Now what is this?" He asked as he fished his hand into her pocket and pulled out some kind of pill bottle. He then read the label. "Let's see... laxative pills? Why would she have these?" **_TRUTH BULLET_**

Pietro raised an eyebrow at that. After Erick handed home the bottle, he looked it over a moment, before trying to open it and see what was inside.

As he tipped the bottle upside down into his hand, the Inquisitor was met with a very strange sight. The pills where white and looked mostly normal, except for an imprint that was on each one. Each pill had a cartoon effigy of Sergeant Quackers' face on it. **_TRUTH BULLET_**

Pietro narrowed his eyes, and glanced at Latia one more time, before looking back at the pills. “So then...is it like that? Hmph. Well, it’s too soon to jump to conclusions, but...it makes a disturbing amount of sense, that Quackers might have a mole in our group...”

"I get the feeling that without more information, asking further questions is pointless. I hope the others can provide more information," The Doctor said with a face deep in thought.

"I wish they hadn't put her in the oil, its hiding too many details. These head injuries seem weird to me but I just can't put my finger on it," Erick added as he took a closer look at them.

“Indeed. I shall make sure to pray for our success: only can Almighty God ensure our success now,” Pietro declared, before crossing himself.

* * *

**09:10 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Outside of the Warehouse**

“So this is the medkit you saw inside Latia’s room?” Elizabeth asked Anastasia as they placed it on the ground.

“Yeah, this is it,” she responded. “I thought it stood out, if I remember correctly Latia stole it from us soon after we were given it.”

Tala kneeled down, inspecting the container. “You were given it? Who by?”

The Mercenary rubbed her temple. “I was badly concussed at the time, but after I started to recover I was told it was by a girl dressed in one of those soldier’s uniforms, gas mask and all.”

The Businesswoman frowned. “That’s odd, all the other soldiers we’ve seen have been men. I’m sure there’s an explanation, but for now let’s just check this kit and see if there’s anything useful inside it.”

Tala nodded and opened the box. One at a time she took out the bottles and bandages that were inside of it and placed them next to the box.

“Let’s see… Aspirin, rubbing alcohol, bandages, gloves. This pretty well stocked first aid kit, this stuff could come in handy.” The Artisan commented.

“Is that it? Is there anything unusual?” Anastasia asked.

“Nothing at the moment… Hang on, what’s this?” She suddenly asked as she picked up a pill bottle and looked at the label. “What the hell? This bottle has the duck on it.”

As the other two women leaned in they soon saw what she meant. The pill bottle had a cartoon rendition of Sergeant Quackers on the label.

“What kind of medication is that? Does it say anything on the back?” Elizabeth, squinting her eyes.

Tala turned the bottle around and saw a label fill of plain black writing. “Quackers’ Special… Poison!?” **_TRUTH BULLET_**

“I fucking knew it!” Anastasia growled. “That bitch tried to kill someone, didn’t she!?”

“Wait a moment, let’s not just to conclusions. Even if they seem highly likely,” Elizabeth said. “Does it say anything else?”

Tala scanned the text. “It says: ‘Quackers’ Special Poison is highly effective when ingested. It does not cause vomiting or bleeding and has no flavour. Once ingested, after a few moments have passed, the victim will experience light-headedness before losing consciousness, which soon leads to complete respiratory failure. Warning: This poison loses some potency when not ingested directly in pill form, as such a higher dose may be needed to compensate for loss of deadliness if ingested via other means’.” **_TRUTH BULLET_**

“Loses some potency when not ingested directly in pill form?” Elizabeth mused. “Those coffees were pretty large. You don’t think Latia was trying to compensate for that, do you?”

Anastasia grit her teeth. “Probably, if was the only poison she could get she would have had to try and make it work.” She looked at Tala. “Hey Tala, has the bottle been opened?”

Tala looked at the bottle’s seal. It was broken.

“Yeah looks like it. I wonder what’s in it.” She replied as she opened the bottle’s top. As she looked inside she saw that they were just plain white pills, with no markings on them.

“Well I think that settles it. I don’t think Latia was just an innocent victim in all of this,” Elizabeth said grimly.

Suddenly the speakers around the platform flared back to life and Quackers’ voice was once again heard.

**_“Alright cadets, time’s up! Make your way to the central platform within five minutes or you will be subjected to summary execution. The court martial for the death of Latia Cappuchi is about to begin.”_ **

As the speakers switched off the girls looked at each other with some worry.

“You think we’re prepared?” Tala asked.

Elizabeth crossed her arms. “I don’t know, but we’re as ready as we’ll ever be. Let’s hope we get this right.” She said as they made their way towards the central platform.

* * *

**_ Truth Bullets _ **

**Half full coffee**

**Full coffee**

**Fishing hook found under the table with the coffees**

**Coffee grinder with white powder inside it**

**Tyler’s testimony**

**Tyler saw Katsumi awake before anyone else**

**Matching testimonies for a lot of the cadets**

**Katsumi’s testimony**

**Latia was strangled by an adult’s hands**

**Latia was hit on the head by a blunt object**

**No oil in Latia’s lungs**

**Time of death was within three hours before the discovery of her body**

**Bottle of laxative found in Latia’s clothes**

**Sergeant Quackers face was on the pills in the laxative bottle**

**Quackers’ Special Poison**

**The poison loses some potency when not ingested directly in pill form**

* * *

Author’s Note: Thanks to StoryProducer214, JCW18, Parafin and Magus1108 for helping RP their characters and StoryProducer214 and MudkipOfDespair for being my betas.

* * *

Review Section:

bellatrixshine: I guess I should be glad that my story is unpredictable.

Trygve11: These things can change at the drop of a hat.

Sparten2121: Yeah, sometimes reverse psychology can do that to you, ha ha.

doomqwer: I hope this lived up to it.

BirblordAlmighty: Well we’ll soon find out, won’t we?

Fee5H: I love how detailed you are with your theories. I hope this investigation will give you more details to work with for your updated post investigation theory.


	9. Stand to Attention

**09:15 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Central Platform**

**Courtroom**

The cadets entered the courtroom with some hesitation as they looked around and took in their surroundings. The room was circular with podiums labelled for each cadet and they, and most of the walls surrounding them, were painted with a military green camo scheme. Lining the corridor into the room and standing around the room at guard posts, more of the gas masked men stood to attention, rifles in hand. However the most visible sight to the cadets was the barbed wire decorated risen platform that overlooked them all, on which Quackers was currently stood overlooking them.

 ** _“Welcome everyone. I hope you all managed to find the evidence you needed, otherwise this camp is going to very shortly be down quite a few members,”_** he said with a smirk. **_“You’ll each find a podium labelled for you. Stand behind them and we’ll get started.”_**

“Shit, this is fucking ominous.” Roman commented as he made his way to the podiums.

“They clearly intend to intimidate us.” Erick added, before looking up at the Sergeant. “Tell me, is there any rule stating that we _have_ to go to the podium labeled for us? What if we decide to stand behind another?”

 ** _“Yes there is a rule; the rule stating you follow orders, and I am ordering you to stand behind the ones labelled for you. So unless you want to die, you will do so.”_** He replied calmly.

“I guess that answers that question.” Elizabeth said as she stood behind her podium.

“You think he gets off on bossing us around?” Tala asked as she did the same. “Cause I’m starting to get those vibes.”

 ** _“This has nothing to do with ‘getting off’ of anything, Private Actaeonis. I assure you that everything has been set up for a purpose.”_** Quackers responded as he watched the rest of the cadets find their positions. **_“Good. Now before we start we need to just do one last thing…”_**

As the Sergeant said this, chains quickly shot out of each of the podiums and cuffed themselves to the cadets’ legs, quickly securing them in place.

“Dude, what the fuck is this!?” Anastasia cried as she steadied herself.

“Ow, fuck! Get them off, they're too tight!” Tyler shouted in pain.

 ** _“They’re supposed to be tight. They wouldn't be very good restrains if they were loose, now would they?”_** The Sergeant responded mockingly.

“Tighter.” Joan muttered to herself.

“Fucking hell…” Roman said in disbelief at the Nun’s response.

“What is the meaning of this!?” Cecelia said as she struggled against them, as she felt the chains crushing her legs.

“A-a-are these really necessary!?” Nolan cried.

**_“Yes, they are. I will not tolerate any insubordination in this courtroom and given your current track record, I would be a fool to trust you without taking some precautions.”_ **

The Sergeant scanned all of the faces in the room, as if waiting for someone to say something, before continuing. **_“Since there doesn't seem to be any more smart comments, we can finally begin. I now declare that the court martial for the death of Private Cappuchi is now in session. The procedure is simple, find the traitor and expose them, otherwise you will all be thrown into trial by combat. Do you all understand?”_**

A moment of worry passed as the cadets looked at each other worriedly.

Suddenly Janna raised her hand. “Excuse me… Sergeant. This might not be anything but I can’t help but notice that one of the podiums is empty.”

Roman raised an eyebrow. “Of course one of them is empty! That must of been Latia’s ya daft twat!”

The Gemologist grit her teeth as she forced a smile towards him. “No, _Roman_ , that’s not what I meant. What I meant was that in the other games they would leave a picture frame of the dead participant showing who would have stood there, and that doesn’t seem to be the case here.”

**_“Seems Private Diaseva has a good eye. But yes, that is true and very much intentional. Those that have died in this camp are failures and I will not stand the sight of such disgraces in my courtroom. As far as I am concerned Latia and all that follow her can rot in the deepest pit of hell.”_ **

“Shut the fuck up!” Tyler shouted. “Don’t you fucking dare say that about Latia!”

The boy breathed in and out heavily in anger, before a strong electrical current flowed into him through the chains, causing him to scream wildly in pain and convulse on the floor violently.

**_“You just don’t know when to keep your mouth shut, do you? Though considering you were stupid enough to believe this was all some kind of reality show, maybe I’m expecting too much of you!”_ **

“Please, stop! You’re going to kill him!” Henriette cried as the boy continued to writhe in agony.

The Sergeant watched the boy for a few more moments, before suddenly the electrical current ceased.

**_“Don’t worry, that was just a demonstration. Those chains attached to each of you can shock you with a far more powerful current than your devices. I could even kill you with them, but where’s the fun in that?”_ **

The Inquisitor glared at the Sergeant, before taking a deep breath and addressing the others.

“We mustn't let ourselves get distracted. For now we need to discuss what we found during the investigation.” He said.

“Indeed.” Dr Richards replied. “I think that the first thing we should discuss is the cause of death.”

The Businesswoman nodded her head. “Alright. Let’s get started.”

Pietro cleared his throat. “The cause of death seems to be a mystery at the moment. There seem to be multiple possibilities, with blunt force trauma and strangulation being the most likely.”

Nolan fidgeted his arms. “We didn’t find any blood during the search. So she must have been killed in one of those ways, any other would likely cause some kind of bleeding.” 

Roman flashed a cocky grin. “Come on guys, it's pretty bloody obvious how she died and it ain’t one of those!”

Katsumi looked at him cautiously. “What do you mean?”

Roman continued. “Well she was found in a barrel of oil, right? So maybe someone twatted her around the head and shoved her by the throat into the barrel, drowning her.”

“No I’m afraid that’s not possible.” Dr Richards said. “When I performed my autopsy on Latia’s body I found that there was no oil in her lungs. If she had drowned then she would have breathed in some of the oil involuntarily before she suffocated. Therefore it is safe to conclude that Latia was already dead before she was placed into the drum.”

“Wait a moment, you looked in her lungs?” Henriette asked with a feeling of dread. “Does that mean you?...”

“Cut her open? Yes, I did. Why do you think I’m not currently wearing my labcoat?” Dr Richards asked as pointed to his now visible black shirt. “I would have worn it to court but Erick insisted that I not make the room smell like blood and viscera, so it's currently in the showers getting washed.”

Many of the cadet’s faces became quite pale at that remark.

Wolfgang adjusted his tie. “Anyway, despite giving way too much information the doctor has helped us narrow down what could have killed her. However with the casualty report being completely useless, we can’t be sure about what caused the killing blow.

“Actually there’s one more possibility of the cause of death.” Tala said. “When we investigated the medikit that Latia stole I found a pill bottle of Quackers’ Special Poison.”

“Wait, you found poison?” Nolan asked in shock. “When we investigated the mess hall we found two coffees sitting on a table with one of them half drunk.”

The Naval Commander nodded. “Indeed. We also found a coffee grinder that had white powder inside of it.

“Wait, what?” Tyler asked weakly as he made his way to his feet. “Poison? White powder? What are you talking about?”

Cecelia and Nolan looked at each other awkwardly. Kiyoshi looked up at him sadly and said, “I-I’m sorry, Tyler, but the current evidence makes it look like Latia wanted to poison you.”

Tyler’s eyes shrunk as his heart sunk. “No… no you’re wrong! Latia wouldn't do that!”

“Yeah… Surely there’s some other explanation. That powder could have been anything, couldn't it?” Katsumi added, looking quite unnerved.

Erick glanced at the Fisherman briefly. “Of course…” He said curiously, before turning to the others. “When we investigated Latia’s body, we did find another pill bottle that was labelled as ‘laxatives’. So I suppose it's possible that the power could have been from that.”

“Exactly,” Katsumi responded. “Latia was just trying to perform a sick joke on Tyler and she might have drunk the wrong coffee. The poison was in the medikit anyway so it can’t be involved, right?”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible!” Pietro suddenly declared.

* * *

**_Rebuttal Showdown!_ **

Katsumi looked up at him in confusion. “What do you mean by that? We’ve got no proof that Latia used the poison. It was all just a prank on Tyler.”

“I don’t think so,” Pietro responded. “It was said that Latia stole the medikit from the others, and this poison that Tala found was inside of it.” He turned to Tala. “Was the bottle open when you found it?” 

Tala picked up the bottle from her pocket and placed it on the podium. “Yeah, it was open.”

The Fisherman’s eyes widened as he saw the bottle. “Well didn’t Erick say that the laxative bottle was on her? She couldn’t have used the poison if it was in her room, so she must have used the laxatives.”

“Normally I would consider that a possibility, however, given the new information revealed in this trial so far, I find that highly unlikely,” The Inquisitor responded as he took out the laxative bottle and emptied a pill into his hand and showing it to the rest of the cadets. “You see here? This pill has a cartoon depiction of Quackers on it. Now considering the theatricality of the despairs and the name of the poison, I think we can all agree that this looks like a pill used for the poison, and since I now know that both bottles were open when we found them, I can only conclude that the pills might have been swapped.”

“Wait, WHAT!?” Katsumi cried in disbelief.

**_BREAK!_ **

* * *

Katsumi began to breathe heavily as gripped one of his arms to stop it shaking.

“Yo fishboy, what’s up with you?” Roman asked.

“Katsumi, is something wrong?” Henriette asked with a concerned expression.

Katsumi took a few deep breaths before trying to compose himself. “I-I’m fine. We need to keep going, we still don’t know the full story yet,” he replied.

“So does that settle it? Latia accidently poisoned herself while trying to kill Tyler?” Janna asked with tears in her eyes. “That’s so cruel...”

“It can’t be… Lala…” Tyler muttered to himself. Joan glanced over to him, slight sadness clear in her eyes.

“I don’t think she died from the poison,” Elizabeth suddenly said. “If she had died from the poison, then why would she have been hit around the head and strangled?”

“What do you mean by that?” Yijun asked.

The Businesswoman straightened herself. “When we found the poison it said that it loses potency when not taken in pill form.”

“Yeah, that's right,” Anastasia said. “But then what are you saying happened?”

“Well there is one explanation. What if she drank the poison, but it didn’t kill her? So then the killer had to finish the job themselves?” Elizabeth continued.

“That might not necessarily be the case,” Wolfgang said, folding his arms. “There is another explanation. What if someone strangled and hit her body after she was dead?”

“Why would someone do that?” Joan asked.

“To make it look like someone killed her, when it was in fact… a suicide,” the Saxophonist stated.

Erick frowned. “What on Earth are you talking about?”

“I have to ask the same thing, Wolfgang,” Cecelia added disapprovingly. “I highly doubt Latia of all people would have killed herself.”

Wolfgang smiled thinly. “I never said it was intentional. What if Latia in all her stupidity drank the wrong coffee, died, and then someone came along and did those injuries to her before shoving her in the oil drum?”

The room was silent for a moment.

“Could this really count as a suicide?” Kiyoshi said. “But why would someone do that?”

“To make us feel despair? To throw the trial off? It's not out of the question that there is either a psychopath, a despair or a mole hiding among us,” Wolfgang stated.

“You think there could be someone like that in our group?” Nolan asked worriedly.

“It’s happened in the other games, so I suppose it's possible.” Elizabeth added.

The Naval Commander slammed her fist against her podium. “Enough! We have no evidence of that yet, so let us not get side tracked.”

“Agreed. However I think I can answer the question of whether or not this case would count as a suicide.” Dr Richards said, looking up at the Sergeant. “Excuse me for a moment but may I ask a question about the laws of this camp?”

Quackers glared at the Doctor. **_“As long as it's just clarification then that’s fine, but make it quick!”_**

“Good. You see I was reading the laws of this camp last night and I couldn’t help but notice that the law that involved becoming the Traitor states ‘if a cadet is killed by another cadet, then the guilty party shall become the Traitor’. Now just to make sure that my grasp of the English language is still in good shape, you aren’t another cadet if you kill yourself, correct? So wouldn’t that imply that suicide would not cause a trial?” He asked.

The Sergeant stared at him for a moment, before actually smiling at the man. **_“Well done, Doctor. It's nice to know that someone has actually bothered to read the rules properly.”_**

The Researcher smirked. “When you’ve dealt with the ethics committee as much as I have you learn to find every loophole out of necessity.”

“What, really?” Kiyoshi asked. “Are you saying that suicide doesn’t count?”

**_“No, it doesn’t. In this camp if you want to progress to the next stage of training then you must commit to slaying one of your comrades. Suicide is just cowardly, I would never dignify such action with a chance for you all to benefit from it.”_ **

“So that means that Latia couldn’t have killed herself by accident. Because if she did we wouldn’t all be in this trial in the first place!” Roman stated.

“Yes… that’s exactly what I was leading to.” Wolfgang stated somewhat awkwardly. “And now that we have cleared up that argument, I can finally say that Katsumi was the killer without any doubt,” he said looking at the Fisherman.

The Fisherman flinched but forced a stoic face. “What do you mean by that?

“Your alibi is the worst I have ever heard and you’ve been acting strangely since we first discovered Latia’s body,” Wolfgang continued.

“Wait a moment!” the Flutist suddenly interrupted. “Katsumi would never do such a thing! We haven’t even heard everyone’s alibis yet!”

“Actually Tyler said something that may lead to Katsumi,” Joan said, before turning to the boy. “You said that before you left to see Latia, you saw Katsumi.”

“Yeah, that’s true. When I first left to see Latia, Katsumi was zoned out watching something the lounge,” Tyler said, before slowly looking at the Fisherman. “Did-did you kill Latia?”

The Fisherman grit his teeth. “No… I-I didn’t. We have to keep going, we must be missing something.”

“Katsumi.” Elizabeth said firmly. “You seem like a decent man, but are you lying to us?”

“No, I’m not!” Katsumi responded irritably. “I went outside and got some fresh air then watched TV. That’s all that happened!”

Kiyoshi fluttered his wings with anxiety. “Katsumi saved my life, I don’t think he’d kill someone. But what were you watching? There didn’t seem to be anything but man marching up and down a square when Tyler and I tried.”

“I-I don’t remember!” Katsumi said with distress in his voice. “I don’t know why I watched the stupid thing!”

* * *

**_Argument Armament!_ **

In Katsumi’s mind he was stood in a boat in the middle of a stormy sea. Surrounded by his crew, the fishing vessel was manned with harpoons and fishing knives, all of them surrounding them as they reeled in their catch. Katsumi stood, fishing pole in hand, the hood razor sharp to deter any attackers. 

“I don’t know what’s going on, but please stop this! I’m not a murderer!” He shouted at the others.

“Who else could have done it? You were the first one awake first and you haven’t said anything about seeing anyone else before Tyler!” Wolfgang responded.

The ship rocked harshly as some of the sailors were thrown into the sea.

“Then maybe Tyler strangled her!” The Fisherman said.

“That’s impossible! She was strangled by an adult, which means anyone _but_ Tyler could have done that!” The Inquisitor stated.

The sea got even rougher and half the crew flew off as a bolt of lightning hit the deck, starting a fire.

“Please, Katsumi, tell us the truth. If you are innocent then it’s the only way we can prove it, otherwise we’ll have to vote for you as you’re the most likely suspect,” Elizabeth said.

“I-I.” Katsumi stuttered as a large wave of water began to head towards his ship. “I can’t.”

“Katsumi, we found a fishing hook under the table that the coffees were under, and it looks like your hat is missing one.” Nolan said. “You must have been there, just tell us what happened.”

“Fishing hook!?” Katsumi shouted as he felt his hat and realised it wasn't there. “No, I didn’t drop that, I would have noticed!”

As the wave loomed over his ship and the shadow of the moon light began to cover the vessel, Kastumi suddenly took a deep breath and looked at them with his usual cool expression.

“I’m… I’m sorry.” He said, throwing down his rod. “Alright I’ll tell you the truth, but please you have to listen to me.”

As he spoke those words the wave consumed the ship and him along with it.

**_BREAK!_ **

* * *

The Fisherman clenched his fist and looked at the others. “The truth is that I did wake up before everyone else and yes I did go out to get some fresh air. However I did see someone while I was outside. I saw Latia walk into the mess hall.”

“You _did_ see Latia?” Elizabeth asked. “Then why didn’t you tell us!?”

“I’m getting to that.” Katsumi said with a pause. “Knowing what Latia was like I wondered what she was up to so early, so I decided to go follow her…

* * *

**_Flashback!_ **

**5:15 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Messhall**

Katsumi walked towards the entrance to the mess hall and saw that the door was ajar. Curious about what Latia was up to, he looked through the crack to see what was happening.

For a moment the room was empty, but then just as he was about to leave Latia walked back into the room holding some cups, a bag of coffee beans, a coffee grinder, a French press and a kettle.

Latia prepared the first coffee like usual, putting the beans into the grinder, grinding them finely before putting them in the French press before brewing with the hot water from the kettle. She took the first coffee and put it in front of the chair at her side of the table.

Then she made the second coffee, but with one difference. With a grin she pulled out a strange pill bottle from her pocket and unscrewed the top. Pouring out some pills into her hand, she then mixed them with the second batch of coffee beans, grinding them together.

 _“What is she doing? What are those pills?”_ Katsumi thought to himself as he watched.

After completing the procedure for a second time, she placed the second coffee next to the seat on the other side of the table.

Latia chuckled. “I can’t wait to see the look on that little shit’s face when he drinks this,” she said, before putting the pill bottle on the table and picking up the beans, grinder and kettle. “I’m your friend, now am I Tyler? Fuck off. I don’t need friends, especially not a loudmouth cocksucker like you.”

As she finished speaking, she turned and walked back into the kitchen. Katsumi scowled and slowly crept into the mess hall, heading towards the table.

As he stood next to the table he looked at the coffees, before picking up the bottle and reading the label.

 _“Laxatives... You fucking bitch, you’re trying to do this to Tyler, aren’t you?”_ He thought. _“I think it's time you got a taste of your own medicine.”_

Placing the bottle down, he reached for the coffees and swapped them to each other's place. Then as he heard Latia growing closer, he quickly snuck out the front door before she could see him.

**_FLASHBACK END!_ **

* * *

**09:45 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Central Platform**

**Courtroom**

“And that’s what happened. I swapped the coffees thinking one had been spiked with laxatives. I didn’t realise that the bottle had poison in it. I didn’t even know she had poison,” Katsumi said as she finished his story.

“Katsumi…” Henriette muttered sadly.

“W-Why didn’t you tell us?” Kiyoshi asked, looking visibly shaken.

Katsmi closed his eyes. “I… I thought that if I told you all the truth from the get go then you might have all voted for me without doing an investigation. I wanted to make sure that we could find as much evidence as we could so we could find the real killer.”

“The-the real killer? Are you still not confessing to the murder!?” Cecelia asked in shock.

Katsumi looked at her intently. “I swapped the drinks, that's it. I didn’t strangle her, I didn’t hit her and I didn’t shove her into that oil drum. Someone else must have done it.”

“Bullshit!” Wolfgang growled. “Look at the audacity of this man! He’s been caught red handed and yet he’s not going to say he did it?”

“I didn’t do it, _Wolfgang_ ,” Katsumi stated firmly. “After I swapped the drinks I went back to the barracks.”

“And what? You just watched TV of guys marching for two and a half hours? Come on mate, that’s a shit excuse,” Roman added.

Katsumi scratched his head. “I-I don’t know why I watched the TV. For some reason I just decided to do it. Look I know that sounds stupid but that’s all I can say.”

Erick looked at him, looking slightly puzzled.

“So what are you trying to claim? That someone came out after you left the mess hall and killed her?” The Inquisitor asked.

The Fisherman sighed. “I don’t know, maybe? Or maybe they were waiting in another part of the platform and came out after I entered the barracks.”

Janna looked around nervously. “Well the poison did say that it was weaker when not taken directly, so maybe the coffee didn’t kill her? If that’s true then maybe Katsumi isn’t the killer.”

Wolfgang shook his head. “That’s not possible. Remember Katsumi’s own testimony, he did not see anyone after he woke up until Tyler came back to look for Latia. If someone had snuck out or back into the barracks he would have seen them, and since we have established that Tyler could not have strangled her, then that only leaves one other person.” He said, looking at the Fisherman.

Tala scratched the back of her ear. “What are you saying? You think Katsumi did it?”

“Yes I do. I think that after Katsumi poisoned Latia by accident, he panicked and made sure to finish the job, before he threw her into the barrel.” Wolfgang said.

“But why wouldn’t he have thrown her off the side of the platform then? Surely he would have thought of it being a Fisherman?” Erick asked as his eyes narrowed in thought.

“Because he’s stupid?” Wolfgang said with a shrug. “I mean being a fisherman isn't exactly trade someone with any intelligence would go into.”

“Shut your damn mouth!” Kastumi shouted.

“But it's true. I mean this is the man too stupid to realise he dropped a fucking fishing hook for Christ sake!” Wolfgang replied.

“I didn’t drop that damn fishing hook! I don’t know how it got there!” Katsumi said.

 ** _“Alright that's enough!”_** Quackers suddenly interrupted. **_“This debate had just devolved into childish bickering so I am now calling a vote.”_**

“A vote? But we hadn’t finished talking yet!” Kiyoshi pleaded.

**_“You clearly have, because towards the end of that discussion you started going in circles. So this is how it's going to work, on your field guide there will now be a voting screen. You all have thirty seconds to vote for who you think is the traitor. Anyone who doesn’t vote will be executed.”_ **

As the screen lit up on the guides Katsumi pleaded one last time.

“Please, I’m telling you something’s up! I don’t want us to make some kind of mistake!”

Many of the group looked up at him sadly, while others were not so kind, but soon all of the cadets had placed their votes. A screen came down from the roof and showed who had voted for who.

**_“Let’s see here… Well it seems you are all working as a unit in this one, you all voted for Private Ryoma. Expect for Private Ryoma himself, who decided to vote for Private Von Schwarz.”_ **

“You son of a bitch! How dare you vote for me!” Wolfgang shouted at Katsumi.

**_“But that doesn’t matter, in this court the majority vote wins. Now the question is did you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?”_ **

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no….” Katsumi muttered with his face in his hands. “What have you done?”

Roman looked at him worriedly. “Err, guys he doesn’t look like he's lying. Are we sure we made the right decision?”

There was a moment of genuine worry as the cadets waited to be told the results.

Then suddenly loud military marching band music played as the guards fired a shot into the air from each of their rifles, deafening the cadets for a moment.

**_“Congratulations everyone. You chose the traitor correctly. Give yourselves a pat on the back!”_ **

Wolfgang crossed his arms. “I fucking knew it.”

“Wait, Katsumi did kill her?” Kiyoshi asked disbelievingly

“It seems that is the case. Katsumi must have been lying to us even after his confession.” The Inquisitor said grimly.

“But, why? Why did you do it?” Henriette asked sadly.

“I-I don’t know. What?” Katsumi muttered as he felt his head swim.

 ** _“Since Private Ryoma seems to have shut down, I'll explain for him. After Katsumi came across Latia he did indeed swap the drinks. However he decided to go back to the door and watch his handiwork. What he didn’t expect was for the girl to fall over unconscious. Rushing back in he believed her to be dead, so he hatched his half-baked scheme to hide the body. What he didn’t expect was for Latia to wake up halfway towards the warehouse. So in a panic he knocked her out with some solid punches before strangling her to death.”_** He looked at Katsumi. **_“I have to admit it was quite entertaining to watch, your bumbling was amusing.”_**

Erick frowned in confusion, before looking at the Sergeant. “Wait a moment, you say he punched her?”

“Well of course he did. How else do you think she got the marks on her head? It ain’t rocket science,” Roman said.

“Katsumi, is this true?” Nolan asked.

Katsumi grit his teeth and glared at Quackers.

“That’s a fucking lie and you know it!” He roared, pointing at the Sergeant..

 ** _“You can deny it as much as you want but it doesn't change the fact that you killed her.”_** He sighed. **_“But we’ve dallied long enough. You murdered and yet you were caught. I will not tolerate such sloppiness in this camp and so to redeem yourself you will be placed in trial by combat!”_** He said as the screen that had the votes changed to a slot machine. **_“Do you have any last words before you opponent is selected?”_**

The Fisherman looked around him frantically before the reality of the situation sunk in. Taking a deep breath, he addressed the others.

“While I doubt any of you believe me, only know that I have told nothing but the truth since telling the story of Latia in the mess hall. However that doesn't excuse my lies before that. While I did genuinely fear a short trial, I also admit have to admit I was just scared. Scared that I would never see my mum and dad again. But it was inexcusable to not be honest from the beginning, and for that I am truly sorry.”

Roman looked down awkwardly. “It's alright Fish- Katsumi. Shit happens. These games are fucked.”

The Fisherman grinned. “It’s funny, I actually kind of grew to like that nickname.” He turned to Kiyoshi. “Kiyoshi, I saved you from Quackers before but now you've got to move forward on your own. Stay strong, alright?”

The Voice Actor’s lip quivered, close to tears. “Thank you Katsumi. I’ll try,” he said, glancing at Nolan.

Katsumi turned to the flutist. “Henriette, thanks for helping me when I got hurt. Take care of yourself.”

“I will, I promise,” she replied flatly.

Finally, he turned to Tyler. “Tyler, I’m sorry you had to find out what Latia was really like through this and while I still say I didn’t kill her, my actions likely lead to her death. Please try and be more careful when you pick your friends in the future.”

The Battle Royal Player looked at Joan for a brief moment. “Yeah… Yeah.” He said, his voice hollow.

“Why are you all treating this like he's a dead man walking!?” Erick suddenly called out, killing the mood.

“W-What do you mean?” Nolan asked.

“It's a trial by combat. This game doesn't have confirmed executions. He could get through this alive.” Erick said, before turning to Katsumi. “Listen, if you’re telling the truth, then get through this and prove it afterwards.”

Katsumi looked up at the Engineer in disbelief. 

“Yeah he’s right!” Elizabeth chimed in. “You can do this, no matter what happened I can tell you’re a good bloke, so don’t give up before you’ve even started!

The Fisherman looked at them for a moment before nodding his head with a smile. “Yeah, alright, I’ll give it my best shot.”

**_“Do I detect some confidence? How delightful, let’s see if you can keep that up after your opponent is selected. Remember, it could be anyone on this oil rig, it could even be one of the other cadets. Do you really have it in you to kill again?”_ **

“Just get this over with.” Katsumi replied.

As Quackers looked at the screen the slot machine began to spin. Moments passed as the others looked on in worry that they could be selected as his opponent. Soon however the wheel began to slow down and the result came onto the screen.

 ** _“Oh my, this is not your lucky day, is it?”_** The Sergeant said mockingly.

“Who is that?” The Naval Commander asked as she read the name. “I don’t remember anyone here being called that, do any of you?”

“Umiko... Ueda?” Katsumi said as he read the text.

Yujin’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the name. “I don’t know why but for some reason that name seems familiar.”

“Yeah, wasn't someone called that in one of the other killing games?” Anastasia suggested.

 ** _“You’re partially correct. Don’t worry, you’ll have time to ask questions after she's done ripping Private Ryoma to bloody pieces!”_** Quackers said with glee as the doors behind him opened. Stepping through them was the girl in the gas mask. She looked at Quackers, before walking to the edge of the platform and jumping down gracefully.

“That’s the girl that gave us the medikit!” Janna said in shock.

“The one with the poison. What in the world is going on?” Dr Richards said.

Katsumi cracked his neck as he pulled out his fish knife. They looked at each other, the girl looking him up and down like a lioness with her prey.

“Look, I don’t want to hurt you, so please stay-” Katsumi’s speech was instantly interrupted when the girl screamed like a banshee and rushed towards him, grabbing him in a bear hug and ripping him and the podium he was attached to off the ground, snapping sparking electrical wires and breaking steel bolting in the process.

“Holy shit!” Wolfgang shouted as he ducked behind his table.

Katsumi plunged his knife into her back but it seemed to have no effect. The girl looked at him from behind the mask’s lenses coldly as she suddenly ran forward with him and crashed him straight into a wall. The Fisherman cried out in pain as he felt himself getting crushed between the solid steel and the bear hug.

“Someone help him!” The Flutist cried.

“Katsumi!” The Naval Commander shouted as she pulled out her pistol and emptied a clip of ammo into her back.

Umiko winced in pain as the bullets pelted her body. However soon the wounds began to knit themselves back together. Looking back at Cecelia, she ripped the fish knife out of her back, dropped Katsumi on the ground and threw the knife directly at the Commander. The Commander tried to duck out of the way but the knife managed to slash her cheek, and it shattered as it hit the hard wall behind it.

“How is this a trial by combat!? This isn’t fair, he can’t even move!” The Inquisitor shouted at Quackers.

**_“Trial by combat? Private Lombardi that wasn't the trial by combat, Corporal Ueda was just getting to know him. Call it a love tap.”_ **

As Katsumi writhed in pain fixed to the podium, his field guide began to glow. Soon before he knew it his entire body was encased in a bright light, before he suddenly disappeared from sight.

“Where did he go!?” Elizabeth asked.

 ** _“He has been teleported to the area were his true trial by combat will begin.”_** He looked at the girl. **_“Corporal Ueda… make sure there isn’t enough to bury.”_**

“As you wish.” Umiko hissed as she pressed a device on her person and vanished as well. The screen above them changed picture again, as it showed a wild stormy ocean.

 ** _“Fishermen have been fighting monsters such as Moby Dick and the Kraken since man first took to the seas. Let’s see if Katsumi can find more success than them.”_** The Sergeant said, eyes glowing red.

* * *

Authors note: Thanks to MudkipOfDespair and StoryProducer214 for being my betas.

* * *

Review Section:

doomqwer: I hope I did a good job.

bellatrixshine: It's alright, not all of us can be great guessers.

NSPunny: Thank you anyway. Nice to hear your still reading.

Trygve11: Yeah, sorry mate. Let’s see if he can get out of this!

Fee5H: While your theory this time was wrong, I really appreciate you giving it your best shot.


	10. Duel to the Death

**10:00 A.M Day Three**

**Location Unknown**

Katsumi groaned in pain as his eyes fluttered open. No longer was he in the courtroom, but as he tried to survey his surroundings, he found that the lighting was so dim that he could barely see anything. As he moved his limbs, he found that he was no longer bound by the chains that had once attached him to the podium. Slowly, he patted around the area where he lay and began to stand on his own two feet.

Suddenly the lights were switched on, blinding him for a moment as he tried to make out where he currently was. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that he was in some kind of strange storage room, the walls and floor surrounding him made of metal. As far as his eyes could see the room was filled with wooden crates, stacked up high and secured to the floor with straps. He could see his breath come out in a mist in front of him, as the cold of the air suddenly registered, causing him to briefly shiver.

As he finally stood tall, he almost fell over when the room suddenly tilted and began to groan.

 _“Where the hell am I?_ ” He thought to himself. _“From the way this place is rocking, it's almost as if…”_

Suddenly speakers in the room crackled to life.

 ** _“Finally awake?”_** Quackers’ voice asked. **_“Good. Can’t have you sleeping on the job now can we?”_**

Katsumi rubbed his eyes. “What’s going on? Where am I?”

**_“Isn’t it obvious? You’ve been teleported to the arena in which your trial by combat will take place. Currently you are in the cargo hold of a travelling scientific research vessel. Your opponent is located somewhere nearby. She doesn’t know where you currently are, but she is searching very quickly, so I would highly advise that you use the little time you have to gather weapons and come up with a plan.”_ **

“Shit…” He muttered to himself as he looked to both of his sides, seeing no weapons in sight. Thinking quickly, he rushed to one of the crates and attempted to pry it open, but to little success.

 ** _“I’ll save you the trouble and tell you that those boxes don’t contain anything of use,”_** the Sergeant said, stopping the Fisherman in his tracks. **_“Just ahead of you is a door that leads to the rest of the ship. You’ll find what you need beyond there, but be quick. Corporal Ueda is in a foul mood today…”_**

As the speakers shut themselves off Katsumi looked in the direction that Quackers had mentioned. There indeed was a steel bulkhead door with an exit sign marked above it. Growling in frustration, he begrudgingly did as he was told and made his way to the door, before turning the handle.

As soon as he opened the door a foul stench suddenly hit him from the hallway, which was bathed in the soft glow of a red emergency light. Covering his nose he winced as he stepped through the door. Immediately he felt the stickiness of the floor beneath him.

 _“This smell. It’s like rotten meat.”_ He thought to himself, but before he could think any further he jumped as a loud banging noise was heard from behind him. Turning around quickly, he saw that the door he had entered from had shut and locked itself behind him.

_“Fuck. Should have seen that one coming.”_

Taking a deep breath he turned back forward and continued walking down the hallway. After a few moments doors began to appear on either side of him. He gripped one of the handles and tried to open it, but found that it was locked.

However as he pulled his hands away from the door, he found that his hands were suddenly covered in something.

“God, what is this?” He said as he took a closer look at his hands. Smelling them he realised that it was the same stench that filled the room, expect far more potent.

“Wait, is this...?”

Just then a creaking interrupted his thought process as one of the doors down the hallway began to swing slowly open, filling the hall with a brighter light. In the gaze of this new light what covered the hall became very clear: blood, the entire hallway was soaked in and a stream along the floor lead into the room. Katsumi’s eyes widened as he looked at his own hands. They were now covered in the same blood too.

Gasping in shock, the Fisherman looked from side to side, looking for any other way to escape but seeing none. Then he noticed it, a case on the wall and inside of it a fire axe. Rushing over he tried to pry it open but to no avail. It was then that he saw the writing on the case.

“‘Break glass to open’. Of course they can’t make this easy.” He said as he quickly took off his shirt and balled it around his fist. Taking aim, he smashed his fist through the glass and pulled out the axe. As he tried to unwrap his hand he felt a sharp jab as the glass shards in the clothing cut into his skin.

“Fuck!” He cried as he threw the shirt away. “Gonna have to do this shirtless. Great!” He said sarcastically as he turned his attention back to the door. Realising that he was pretty much being herded in that direction, he took a tight grip of the axe and slowly entered the room.

What he saw almost made him gag. The room was some kind of research room, with large glass tubes filled with experiments and mutants of all kinds. They seemed to be docile at the moment, but they created a sense of unease in Katsumi nonetheless. However the worst sight was that of some kind of containment breach. In the middle of the room a table was set up, surrounded by the bloodied bodies of men in lab coats. The table looked as if it had once been used to restrain someone, but the bonds were ripped and whatever had once been tied down was now evidently free. On the other side of the room there was another door, however whether it was unlocked or not remained to be seen.

Taking a deep breath, Katsumi noticed that among the bodies there appeared to be a bag poking out from the mass of flesh. Axe in hand, he walked towards the bag before taking a grip of one of its handles.

“You’re a remarkably calm man,” a female voice suddenly said, echoing through the room. “Most would break down in panic, given the circumstances.”

Katsumi’s head whipped around, looking behind him as he pulled the bag from the pile of bodies.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” He said, gripping the axe tightly.

“That should be pretty obvious. Finding you was extremely easy, it’s like you’re not even trying to hide,” her voice responded as shuffling echoed throughout the room, emanating from the corridor he had come from.

Katsumi opened the bag in a mad dash to find something useful. Inside he found a few things: a flare gun, a kitchen knife and a keycard being the most obvious. He put the bag on his back as he began to back away from where he had come from and towards the new door.

“Look, Umiko, or whatever your name is, we don’t have to do this. Please, I don’t want to fight you!” He pleaded as he slowly but surely began to reach his destination.

There was a moment of silence, before Umiko let out a loud, cruel cackle.

“Aww, you don’t want to fight? I was like you once; weak and useless. But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, I saw your pathetic nature first-hand when you were talking to the blond bimbo the other night.”

“Wait, that was you?” Katsumi said with surprise, remembering back to the night he saw the figure watching them.

“Oh yes… But enough talk. I could gut you where you stand, but where's the fun in that? So I’m going to give you something I never had: a 10 second head start.”

Katsumi suddenly found himself touching the door. “Oh come on, don’t do this. This is insane!”

“10… 9… 8…” The count began.

“Shit!” The Fisherman cursed. Turning around he gripped the handle and tried to turn it with all his strength. Luckily for him the door was unlocked and he swiftly opened it and exited as quickly as he could.

Shutting the door behind him, he was taken aback as he saw that more bodies piled the hallway in front of him, each one looking more eviscerated than the last. Running on adrenaline, he began to hop over them in a mad dash to get some distance from the girl. 

Making his way down the hallway he found a turning off point and saw an open doorway that lead to a staircase heading upwards the hallway began to clear now, with only a few bodies lying to each side of the hall. Hesitating for a moment, yet not hearing anything alarming, he made his way towards the door.

However as soon as he entered the stairway, from above him, Umiko struck.

Leaping down from her perched position she leaped down with a machete in hand, attempting to cleave him in two, but Katsumi reacted just in time and dodged. Rolling along the ground, he struggled to his knees before swinging at her with the axe. She dodged easily, leaping over the swing before kicking him in the side, launching him towards the staircase.

On his hands and knees he hurriedly began to climb up the stairs, watching as the girl behind him followed him slowly and calmly.

 _“Got to get to the deck.”_ He thought in a panic, before getting back to his feet and legging it. _“It’s my best chance!”_

Blood pumping in is ears he rushed up and up as fast as he could, followed quickly by the now running monster of a woman behind him. Catching up to him she sung her blade once more, just barely missing again as it cut into the wall behind him, causing the blade to embed itself into it. Katsumi fell back against the railing, before landing a solid punch to the side of her masked face.

It didn’t even seem to faze her, her only response being to tilt her head slightly in curiosity.

“Oh come on...” He muttered in despair, as she grabbed him and threw him into the wall behind her, hard. Slamming into the wall, bad shoulder first, he screamed in pain as his right arm went limp, nearly unusable.

“You poor thing. Did that hurt?” She asked him mockingly as she pulled her blade out from the wall.

“No. But this will!” He shouted as he gripped the axe in his left hand and swung it at her leg.

The girl hissed in pain as it dug into her shinbone and caused her to buckle to one knee. Taking the advantage, he jumped to his feet and slammed into her with his right shoulder, pushing her down the stairs. He grit his teeth, trying to bite down the pain as he gripped his now useless arm and continued to run up towards the deck.

 _“Fuck, it’s dislocated!”_ The thought went around his head as he reached the top flight of stairs, coming face to face with the door. Using his only available hand, he began to turn on the handle for dear life. He yet again couldn’t hear the girl, but that only worried him further.

Finally he opened the door and pushed it open. What he saw was the deck of a modern day cargo ship, with shipping containers, life tanks, life rings and rope littering the place as the ship dipped up and down in a thunderstorm. Feeling the freezing cold water splash against his skin for the first time made him shiver, but he was used to the cold, he fought through it.

Hurrying out of the stairwell, he slammed the door behind him and ran away from it, trying to find a spot to recover. He could feel his heart race in his chest as he found a shipping container that was open and dived into it in pure instinct, hunkering down. Quickly he took the bag back off of his shoulder and looked inside.

 _“Okay, flare gun, got some ammo, knife… fat load of use that will do… what’s this?”_ He thought, looking at the keycard. _“What’s this for!?”_

He winced in pain again as his dislocated shoulder flared in pain.

 _“This is gonna suck…”_ He thought as he took out the knife and placed the handle between his teeth. Then looking at the wall of the container he straightened himself out before running at it with his shoulder first. His muffled screams of pain began as he rammed it into the wall over and over again, trying to get it back into its socket. Then with one final slam it popped back into place as he fell to the ground, writhing in agony. This only stopped when he began to hear the loud creaking and groaning of metal coming from outside.

Taking the flare gun out of the bag and loading it he peeked his head outside of the container. There, in the middle of the deck, the floor’s plates and boltings where coming loose as something pounded on it repeatedly. Then with one final slam, a fist came through the hole, which was followed by another hand as the form of Umiko began to crawl onto the deck. The Fisherman immediately ducked back into the container, more than a little shaken from the sight.

“Are you hiding from me, Katsumi? Don’t you know that’s it's rude to keep a lady waiting!?” She said with glee as she began to prowl for her prey.

Trying to calm his breathing, he desperately tried to think of a plan.

_“Oh God, what do I do!? I’ve got to knock her into the water, it's the only way I’m going to take her out. But how?”_

He took another look in his bag, taking out the keycard.

_“Okay, this has to be here for some reason. Let’s see… ‘container crane key’? If I can find it… fuck it! It's only shot I have.”_

Taking a deep breath he put the knife into his belt, put the keycard into his pocket and walked out, flare gun in hand as he slowly walked down the line of containers that were on the ship. He looked from side to side, hearing footsteps in the distance mixed with the rain as he tried to find the crane controls. 

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice when the harpoon thrown at him until it embedded in his left shoulder, pinning him to the container behind him. He cried in pain trying to stay conscious, as he saw Umiko stand atop one of the containers, now with a large chain in her hands

“Miss me?” She asked as she jumped down and began to swing the chain next to her. “I have to say you’re more fun than the last lot I dealt with.”

Moving his shaking left hand towards the harpoon, Katsumi gripped onto it tightly and pulled it out. He collapsed to the floor in agony as blood began to gush freely from the open wound.

“Please I’m begging you, don’t do this! This is wrong!” He pleaded.

She scoffed. “Look at you, trying to be all high and mighty. Just stop it. How can you claim this is wrong after you killed Latia!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” He roared as he aimed the flare gun at her and pulled the trigger, sending the fiery hot object directly into her face.

She roared in pain as it burnt through her gasmask and set her hat on fire, causing her to drop the chain to the ground as she clawed at her face in pain. Taking the opportunity, Katsumi ran away, desperately trying to find the controls.

“I’m not going to let you frame me!” He shouted in defiance. He ran and ran until finally he found it, the controls for the crane located in the middle of the containers. He struggled to pull himself up and he hobbled towards the controls. Seeing the keycard slot, he inserted it and began to mess around with the controls. 

“Okay, if I can just figure this out I might be able to slam one of these into-” his mutterings to himself where interrupted as Umiko let out a piercing shriek and landed on the platform with him. She glared at him fiercely, now without her hat and with a now damaged mask before she ripped it off with one hand and looked at him face to face.

The girl’s face was burnt and discoloured, with razor sharp teeth that snarled at him. However the most noticeable thing about her was her eyes, one was a normal jade, but the other was a piercing red surrounded by a solid black.

She roared as she jumped at him with her razor sharp nails. Before he could react she slashed across his chest, ripping a large chunk of skin off and exposing the muscle underneath. He was thrown back as he pulled a lever and fell off the platform, landing on the hard floor underneath.

Umiko smashed the controls above before jumping down. Katsumi, now covered in his own blood, pulled out his knife.

“Come on, just a little closer. I can take you, you fucking bitch!” He struggled out.

The girl flashed him a toothy grin as she began to walk towards him. “You really think you can still fight? Look at you!”

“I-I don’t need to fight. I just need you in the right spot.” He responded, coughing up some blood.

“What does that… mean?” She said as she suddenly saw the container heading towards her. Swinging from the crane, it crashed into her and sent the box through many of the other boxes before swinging over the side of the ship.

Katsumi’s head laid against the floor and he struggled to catch his breath. For a moment it seemed as if the unbelievable had happened, he had managed to slay the monster.

“There… I beat her. Now send me back!” He called out.

However, he was soon proven wrong. From out of nowhere Umiko leapt through the air once more and landed next to him, snarling. Eyes widening he tried to take one last swing, but she grabbed his wrist effortlessly and with a squeeze of her hand, crushed it. Then grabbing him by the throat, she lifted him up and threw him towards some glass that led back into the ship’s interior. He smashed through it face first and landed in a heap amongst shards of bloodied glass.

Bleeding heavily, his face a mess and now unarmed Katsumi realised it was the end. As the sight of Umiko stalking towards him drew near and his mind slowly faded, he lay on his back and said his final words.

“Mum… Dad… I’m so sorry, but I won’t be coming home this time. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I love you both.”

Then as the words left his lips Umiko was upon him. Holding him against the floor she pulled back her arm before she jammed her fist straight through his chest. The last thing that Kastumi saw was the sight of his own still beating heart being ripped from his body and crushed in the hand of his opponent.

Katsumi Ryoma, the Ultimate Fisherman, was dead.

* * *

**10:20 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Central Platform**

**Courtroom**

A bright flash emanated from the centre of the courtroom as Umiko was teleported back in front of the horrified crowd. The blood soaked girl looked at the crowd snarling, before she took a bite out of Katsumi’s heart.

“Mother of God!” The Inquisitor shouted as he pointed his gun at the girl. 

“Katsumi!” Henriette screamed in horror.

“Holy shit…” Roman muttered as his face went white.

 ** _“So in the end it seems Katsumi just couldn't get the job done. So pathetic.”_** Quackers commented with a sneer, before turning to Umiko. **_“Good work, soldier.”_**

The girl looked up at the Sergeant before giving a sickening smile.

“How was that a fair fight? Katsumi didn’t stand a chance.” Erick asked, his eyes narrowing.

 ** _“Who ever said that these fights would be fair? Luck just wasn’t in his favor and he paid the price.”_** Quackers responded with a grin. **“ _Anyway, now that failure is dealt with we can move on. You all successfully made it through the first trial, so I suppose congratulations are in order.”_**

“You honourless dog…” Yijun spat in disgust.

“Oh, God. Oh, God…” Tyler muttered to himself, visibly pale.

“Why is this happening!?” Janna cried, tears weeping down her face.

Wolfgang was surprisingly silent, clearly shaken by the turn of events.

**_“As promised the next platform will be opened shortly and you will be allowed to explore it freely.”_ **

Suddenly from his side one of the masked men walked up to him and leaned in close to his ear. After they whispered something inaudible, they walked off as Quackers nodded his head.

**_“Well that was very well timed. It seems that our special delivery has finally arrived.”_ **

A look of confusion spread amongst the cadets.

“Wait, what? Special delivery, what are you talking about?” Elizabeth asked.

 ** _“Head outside and you’ll all find out soon enough.”_** The Sergeant answered as Umiko leapt from the center of the courtroom and landed next to him in a crouch. **_“Well go on, don’t be shy. Make sure to make them feel welcome.”_**

As he finished speaking the chains that had held the cadets in place suddenly unlocked themselves, allowing them to move freely once more.

“W-what should we do?” Nolan asked nervously as he rubbed the areas the chains had left marks on his skin.

“As much as I hate to admit it, we have little choice but to do what the duck wants,” the Naval Commander said. “Come on, let's get this over with.”

Not knowing what else to say the cadets slowly and nervously made their way out of the courtroom. Eventually only Quackers, Umiko and the guards remained and the doors shut tightly behind the cadets as they left.

“Well you seemed to enjoy yourself that trial,” a figure suddenly stated as they walked out from the door behind Quackers. “Looks like things are finally afoot, and the girl certainly performed as was expected.” 

He looked at Umiko and clicked his fingers. “Umiko, here!”

Umiko crawled on all fours, scuttling towards him and embracing his legs, looking up at him adoringly.

The Sergeant smiled as he turned his head to face him. **_“Yes Doctor, it was a lot of fun watching them squirm. If the first motive did this to them then I certainly look forward to what we’ve got planned ahead.”_** He ruffled his feathers. **_“Including when you finally decide to get involved.”_**

The figure reached down and scratched Umiko’s head like one would a loyal pet. 

“I will soon enough. You’ve got to keep them on their toes. Besides, I can’t wait to see the look on Richard’s face when we meet again.” He said, voice full of spite.

Quackers chuckled. **_“Oh yes, the best is yet to come…”_**

* * *

**10:20 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Central Platform**

As the cadets left the courtroom, the first sight that welcomed them came as a shock. Rising from the water itself, a massive battleship soon made itself visible. As it sailed to the second platform the cadets took in the amount of firepower that it had on it; nine massive turrets, two anti-air devices and a hatch from which missiles could launch. However, as the ship came to dock on the second platform of the rig one particular feature came into view that stood out from the rest of the war machine.

Painted on the side of the ship was a flag of the Kingdom of Novoselic.

“My ship!” Cecelia suddenly shouted as she ran ahead of the rest of the cadets.

The cadets paused in surprise.

“What? Cecelia, wait up!” The Inquisitor called out as he followed.

The cadets followed behind the two ahead of them as they reached the second platform. On it was a docking area that the ship secured itself too as it came to a full stop. As Cecelia and Pietro arrived next to the currently shut off ship, the Naval Commander was clearly a bundle of nerves.

“What is the meaning of this!?” she said in disbelief as she looked the ship over.

“What’s going on? You’re saying this is your ship or something?” Tala asked.

“I believe that may be the case.” Pietro replied.

“This game is getting stranger by the moment.” Anastasia commented.

Suddenly the door to the ship opened and from it many more men began to funnel out. Where six men lined up on each side of the ramp way, guns at the ready, two others began to push out a large wooden box. It was covered in various signs and warnings, however the text on it was mostly obscured by a shroud that was draped over it.

“I don’t like the look of this,” Kyioshi said, as he hid behind Tala, trembling with worry.

Tala simply rubbed his shoulder protectively as she stared at the amassed forces.

The masked men placed the box in front of a few of the other soldiers from the base with a loud thump, before they began to turn around and walk back into the ship. However before they could make their exit, Cecelia interrupted them.

“Wait a moment!” She shouted, causing a few of them to stop and look at her. “What the fuck are you doing with my ship!?”

The men looked at each other for a moment, before one of them stepped forward to address her.

“That is none of your concern, _Commander_. But don’t worry, we’ll take… good care of it for you.” He said with a hint of glee, before quickly turning around and heading back into the ship.

“Wait! What does that mean!? Where are my crew!?” She shouted, but was ignored. “Don’t ignore me goddamnit!”

She was about to storm towards them, when suddenly she felt an arm in front of her, blocking her path.

“Please, calm yourself,” Joan said, before dropping her arm. “Don’t do anything risky. We can’t lose anyone else.”

The Naval Commander’s gaze was fierce, but soon softened as the ship that had docked soon began to sail beneath the waves again, leaving only the box behind. Some other men grabbed the box and attached it to a trolley. They then rolled it away towards the central platform

“What the hell was that all about?” Roman asked.

“It seems that there are many more mysteries in this game. However I feel that we have more pressing matters to deal with at the moment.” Dr Richards said as he looked in the direction that the box had been taken. “Did anyone else notice the markings on that box?”

“No, I wasn’t really looking,” Janna said.

“Good to see someone else noticed that.” Wolfgang suddenly piped up. I’d recognise those markings anywhere, but… surely it can’t be what I think it is.”

“What are the markings then?” Roman asked.

“They’re a message. Warning people not to handle the contents without proper protection. It’s normally only used for… nuclear materials. The type used for weapons.” He responded, with clear concern in his voice.

* * *

**11:30 A.M Day Three**

**Her Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth** **The coast of the British Isles**

“Commander Haig, our agents have confirmed that the box on screen is in fact real. Apparently some of the bases that the old British government used to own have been raided, with the materials taken from them.” The soldier said to his acting commander. 

The Commander let out a sigh as he turned back to the screen, currently showing the Skyford killing game broadcast. Commander Haig was a man in his fifties, but he kept himself in good shape, which gave him the vigor a man half his age. A well-kept grey beard and short grey hair decorated a grizzled and scarred face, with piercing and determined eyes.

“Can this mess get any worse? We already have one killing game on British territory and now not only do we have another, but they might have nuclear weapons!?” He shook his head. “And you’re telling me we can’t even _find_ this one!?”

The soldier nodded his head. “Yes Sir. Despite all of our efforts, Skyford Oil Rig isn’t showing up on any radar or satellite photos. It’s like it’s disappeared off the face of the planet.”

Commander Haig slammed his fist onto the desk in front of him. “Double the search! The council will have our heads if we let this embarrassment continue!”

“Yes Sir!” the soldier said with a salute. 

“And one more thing. If those despair harbouring, lying sons of bitches from the Foundation try to get involved, the order is that they are to stay away from our territory under threat of immediate arrest. This is matter for the British Reclamation Council and we will not allow our authority to be subverted. Make sure that is made clear amongst the men.”

The soldier nodded and made his way out of the room. As the door shut the Commander sighed, opening a cupboard door on his desk and pulling out a whiskey bottle and small glass before pouring himself a drink and knocking it back.

“Twenty ships patrolling the North Sea and we still can’t find anything,” he muttered to himself. “What the hell is going on…"

* * *

**Act 1 Complete**

**16/18 Cadets Remain**

* * *

**Author’s Note:**

I hope you all enjoyed this first act and I look forward to events going forward. Next chapter I’m thinking of writing an omake chapter to lighten the mood so look forward to that!

Also as always, thanks to MudkipOfDespair and StoryProducer214 for being my betas. 

* * *

**Comments section:**

Trygve11: I’m sorry but this was your boy’s final voyage. But I just want to say thank you so much for submitting Katsumi. I hope I at least gave him a good ending.

doomqwer: Yeah, Richards is a lot of fun to write.

bellatrixshine: Yes. Yes he did. Hope you enjoyed!

BirblordAlmighty: Thanks for Umiko. I think she’ll do a good job terrorising the cadets from this point forward.

Trust Me the Spider: Well now the reboot has happened, Axel/Emizel’s involvement is in the air. We’ll see what happens.


	11. Quackers’ Omake Theatre

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are here live from the BBC studios right here in the heart of London! Now without further ado, give it up for your host… Shinzo Tojo!”

The audience cheered as the man ran out on stage, a large smile on his face.

“Hello there everyone, happy New Year and welcome to the first episode of Quackers’ Omake Theatre!” He said, eliciting a cheer from the audience.

“My word things have grown since last year. I remember all the way back in July when Superguy559 decided to start this story after finishing Railway of Despair and now look at it. Two people are dead, the British military are getting involved and the cast of Oasis all got fired!” He paused, looking at the audience with puppy dog eyes. “So if any of you can spare some change for a poor guy down on his luck, every little helps.”

The audience laughed, before Shinzo grinned once more, taking a seat behind the desk on stage.

“Don’t worry guys, I’m only joking. There’s no ill will towards Crit, he just decided the project wasn’t for him. I hear most of us got cast into other series off the fame we got from the show, including my little sis Freyja. However now that my schedule has been freed up a bit, Super decided to give me this gig as the host of this omake show… So I guess things can only go up from here?”

He grinned as the more laughter rang out, before picking up his notes and clearing his throat.

“But enough small talk, let’s get to the good stuff. Later tonight the first victims of this game, Latia Cappuchi and Katsumi Ryoma will be on to give their thoughts about the series so far and their roles in it. But along the way we will be taking you behind the scenes of the series, showing you how the story gets made and the fun the cast has had along the way.”

The audience cheered as the screens above the stage lit up, showing a paused video from the show.

“It seems that a lot of people have been raving about the new mascot of the series, Quackers, and how he figures into the mysteries of the show. However, off camera he’s had to deal with his own share of drama, as seen in this following outtake…”

* * *

**09:15 A.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Central Platform**

**Courtroom**

The cadets entered the courtroom with some hesitation as they looked around and took in their surroundings. The room was circular with podiums labelled for each cadet and they, and most of the walls surrounding them, were painted with a military green camo scheme. Lining the corridor into the room and standing around the room at guard posts, more of the gas masked men stood to attention, rifles in hand. However the most visible sight to the cadets was the barbed wire decorated risen platform that overlooked them all, on which Quackers was currently stood overlooking them.

 ** _“Welcome everyone. I hope you all managed to find the evidence you needed, otherwise this camp is going to very shortly be down quite a few members,”_** he said with a smirk. **_“You’ll each find a podium labelled for you. Stand behind them and we’ll get started.”_**

“Shit, this is fucking ominous.” Roman commented as he made his way to the podiums.

“They clearly intend to intimidate us.” Erick added, before looking up at the Sergeant. “Tell me, is there any rule stating that we _have_ to go to the podium labelled for us? What if we decide to stand behind another?”

 ** _“Yes there is a rule; the rule stating you follow orders, and I am ordering you to stand behind the ones labelled for you. So unless you want to die, you will do so.”_** He replied calmly.

“I guess that answers that question.” Elizabeth said as she stood behind her podium.

“You think he gets off on bossing us around?” Tala asked as she did the same. “Cause I’m starting to get those vibes.”

 ** _“This has nothing to do with ‘getting off’ of anything, Private Actaeonis. I assure you that everything has been set up for a purpose.”_** Quackers responded as he watched the rest of the cadets find their positions. **_“Good. Now before we start we need to just do one last thing…”_**

“UNCLE QUACKERS!” A young voice suddenly shouted out.

**_“You've got to be kidding me…”_ **

“CUT!” the director shouted as the cast all groaned in frustration. From backstage three smaller ducklings came running on stage, all of them wearing a scout’s uniform with differing colours. One duck wore red, one green and one blue

Quackers pinched his brow. **_“Zack, Mack, Jack, how many times have I told you not to interrupt me when I’m filming!?”_**.

“Sorry Uncle Quackers,” the red suited Zack said, holding up a mobile phone, one hand over the receiver. “But there’s another call for you from Disney, they say it’s urgent.”

The Sergeant's face dropped. **_“Oh my God it’s him again, isn’t it!?”_** he said with a sigh. **_“He just won’t let this go, will he!?”_**

Quackers picked up the phone, and spoke in the most polite manner his annoyed self could attempt.

**_“Hey Donald, what’s up?”_ **

Extremely angry duck noises could be heard from the other side of the phone as Quackers tried to keep his composer.

**_“Look we’ve been through this before. Just because I’m an anthropomorphic duck who also wears a military uniform doesn’t mean that I’m infringing on your wartime cartoons’ copyright.”_ **

More noises came down the phone.

**_“Well for one I actually wear trousers. I don’t just walk around with my non-existent dick hanging out.”_ **

The Donald’s voice grew louder and more intense.

**_“No, having three nephews doesn’t count as theft of intellectual property. They haven’t even been on screen!”_ **

Donald’s voice didn’t stop quacking away angrily.

**_“You know what? Why don’t you and Disney piss off and go back to what you’re good at? Like ruining Star Wars!”_ **

Quackers hung up on the sailor outfit wearing duck and handed the phone back to Zack.

“That was awesome, Uncle Quackers!” The green wearing Mack said. “You sure showed him!”

The Sergeant chuckled. **_“Yeah, but knowing how petty they are I doubt he’s going to give up that easily.”_**

“Yeah, but Uncle Quackers you raise a point just now.” The blue coloured Jack said. “When are we going to get cast in the show? Mum said you would!”

A few confused looks from the cast members below him made Quackers pause for a moment.

**_“Boys, I’m working on it but I can’t guarantee anything at the moment. Could you please let me just finish this scene and then we’ll talk.”_ **

“You’re the best!” The ducklings said as they ran off stage, once more leaving the Sergeant alone with the rest of the cast.

“Their mother promised you’d get them parts!?” Nolan asked in disbelief. “What are they going to be, the second Monokubs!?”

“Yeah like that totally won’t backfire,” Cecelia added sarcastically as she filed her nails.

Quackers rubbed his face. **_“Their mother seems to be obsessed with getting them into show business, I swear I didn’t suggest it. They’re good kids, they just get a little over excited, that’s all.”_**

Joan giggled. “Hey it’s no problem my man!” She said in a cheerful voice. “I’m sure they’ll be great some day!”

“Alright can we please get back to filming?” The director asked.

 ** _“Yes, of course. Sorry about that.”_** Quackers finished, walking back to his mark.

* * *

The audience laughed and clapped as the screen switched back to Shinzo, chuckling under his breath.

“And I thought I played the cut throat politician! But their mother could show me a thing or two.” He said, with a smile. “But all joking aside let’s get back to the main event. You may love or hate them but no one can deny they both went out gruesomely, ladies and gentlemen please give a big welcome to Latia Cappuchi and Katsumi Ryoma!”

A big round of applause followed as the two made their way on stage. Latia wore a lovely flowing dress, whereas Katsumi wore a stylish black suit. They sat down on the sofa next to the desk.

“Thank you both for coming tonight.” Shinzo said

“Oh it's an absolute pleasure,” Latia repiled.

“Hey man, it's great to be here!” Katsumi said happily.

Shinzo straightened out his notes. “So let’s start off with our first victim and would be murderer, Latia. What made you decide to take up the role of such a funny yet completely lacking in morality character?”

Latia chuckled. “Well as you know I’m known mostly for playing the good girl in most films. So I thought wouldn’t it be fun to play a complete bitch? You know, get a bit of variety in there.”

“Well at least you’re straight to the point. I hear that you and Tyler became good friends on set, is that right?” Shinzo asked.

“Oh he’s an absolute angel. He’s actually a really quiet and mild mannered boy off camera, so playing the loud and obnoxious Ace Battle Royale Player has been quite a challenge for him. Sadly some people online can’t seem to distinguish the character from the actor and the hate he’s been getting has weighed down on him.” Latia said with a sombre expression.

Shinzo sighed. “I know that feeling. I remember hanging out in the mess hall with Sarah and she was telling me that after the scene in which she tried to kill Emizel got shown, she got death threats on twitter. Now obviously she's a fully grown woman and just laughed them off, but that can’t be easy for a child.”

Latia folded her arms. “Funnily enough I received some hate after it was shown that I manipulated and then tried to kill Tyler, so I guess it's a free for all. But it’s alright, I and the other cast members have been helping him get through it.”

Shinzo nodded. “And moving on to Katsumi, how did you feel about taking on this role? This is your first time stepping out of the professional wrestling world to act in a series such as this. Do you think this could be the first step to a career in show business like Dwayne Johnson before you, or is this just a onetime thing?”

Katsumi laughed. “Well Shinzo I had a blast. I didn’t last too long but hey, it is my first acting role, so I guess we all have to start somewhere. I mean I think this was a better start than playing the Scorpion King of all things!”

Shinzo grinned. “Hey, at least you got a trial. I got stabbed in the desert off screen!”

“Yeah that sucked.” Katsumi responded with a chuckle. “But to answer your question of if this is my path to show business, the truth is not at the moment. I still enjoy working for the WWE and I’m scheduled for the upcoming Royal Rumble. So you never know, I could end up in the main event of Wrestlemania.”

“Maybe, you never know.” Shinzo said. “Now you were the first cadet executed in this story by the trial by combat. I’m sure your wrestling background must have helped you with that action scene. How was it to act out a fight scene with a non-wrestler like Umiko?”

Katsumi crossed his arms. “Well firstly I just want to say Umiko is an amazing actress. She was a little bit worried going into the fight scenes as she was worried about hurting me for real, but I and the stunt trainer soon got her into shape. You also have to remember that she’s acting it out under all that makeup and that’s no easy feat. But overall it went great. It was a lot of fun portraying my death scene. I guess you could say I really put my heart into it.” 

The audience applauded while the screen came down once more.

“Well either way from what the reviews are saying people think you did a solid job at portraying the Ultimate Fisherman. However we have footage that shows that things didn’t always go smoothly for you on your first few takes.”

“Oh no…” Katsumi said cringing as the audience and Latia laughed. 

Shinzo pointed behind the camera. “Roll the clip!”

* * *

**7:00 A.M**

**Day Two**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**In the depths of the platform**

"Oh you'd certainly be right about that! Where would the challenge be without a little pressure to keep you going?" The voice replied, full of malice.

As it finished the door behind them began to hiss as it slowly swung open. Slowly coming into view where a pack of horrific dog like monsters, but clearly altered as their skin barely clung to the bones that jutted out and the drooling tentacles that grew from their backs. They snarled through their razor sharp jaws as they slowly began to stalk towards them.

"Oh shit..." Katsumi said as his face grew pale.

"What the fuck are those things!?" The Businesswoman said, trying to stay calm.

“A-are they going to be chasing us?!” The Ice Sculptor wailed, taking a few steps back. “I don’t think I like this anymore!”

"Well why don't you stay and find out? These guys haven't had fresh meat in days. I'm sure they'd love some company..." The voice said with glee.

"No... No I'm not dying here!" The Flutiest cried as she bolted into the doorway.

"Henriette!" The Inquisitor shouted as the girl disappeared into the darkness. "Fuck! Everyone, stay together and follow me!" He said as he too followed the girl.

Soon he was followed by the remaining three as they ran into the darkness. Quickly they found that they were in a system of metal hallways that turned and twisted without much rhythm or reason as the sounds of the creatures behind them grew louder and louder.

As they closed in on the Flutist the group was about to reunite, but it was not to be as the hall suddenly shook and the girl disappeared from view, a wall now in her place.

"Damn it! The maze is moving!" Pietro cried.

Elizabeth gripped Nolan's hand tight.

"Whatever happens we can't let ourselves get split up," she turned to the ice sculptor. "Stay with me. I promise I won't let anything happen-”

A loud crashing noise was suddenly heard as Katsumi suddenly missed his mark and slammed straight into one of the set’s walls, before falling flat on his arse.

The other three, along with the set crew immediately burst out laughing.

“Shit! Are you okay!?” Elizabeth asked, clearly trying to suppress her giggling.

“Oww…I can’t see fuck all in this lighting!” Katsumi complained, rubbing his face.

“Yeah, he’s fine.” Pietro said with a cheeking grin. “This isn’t wrestling, mate. You actually have to work by yourself for once.”

“Oh fuck off,” Katsumi said dismissively. “Mr MMA wants to tell me how to play my part when he’s the one who thought Jesus built Noah’s ark!”

Pietro was taken aback by the comment, but before he could Nolan interrupted.

“Can we please just start again? We’re on the fourth take already!” He said.

“Alright I get it!” Katsumi shouted as he made his way up. “This would be far easier if we did shorter takes.”

Henriette walked back from behind the stunt wall and shook her head, sighing. “Katsumi you you should know by now that’s not how the director does things. He’s still aiming for that emmy with the arthouse bullshit.”

“Hey!” The director said in an insulting manner.

Henriette giggled. “Just kidding sweetheart…”

* * *

“I was hoping that clip wouldn’t see the light of day. I mean can you blame me for crashing into things!? Part of my job is getting slammed through tables!” Katsumi said as the audience clapped.

“It’s fine, dude. These things just happen.” Shinzo said. “Anyway before we go I’d like to point out some of the fan response that this show has been happening, and luckily most of it isn’t death threats.”

The screen showed a picture from the website twitter.

“During the last season, the highest trending hashtag was #Kiyolan4Life, followed by #ChickenBoiWithIce.”

Latia laughed. “Yes, Nolan and Kiyoshi and fully aware that there is now a hoard of fujoshis trying to ship them. The crew won’t stop teasing them about it. There’s even a bunch of slash fics involving them. I’d feel bad for them but just seeing the look on Nolan’s face when he read this story involving him using an ice dildo to prep Kiyoshi was princess.”

“It would be funny if Superguy decided to pair them up due to the feedback.” Katsumi added. “Have you seen the art of them on Tumblr?”

“Yes we have,” Shinzo replied. “Unfortunately most of it is so… graphic that it would probably get us pulled off the air. Let’s just say that it gives the idea of Nolan eating chicken a whole new meaning.”

A laugh was shared by the audience when Shinzo turned back to the camera.

“Unfortunately that’s all we have time for today. But don’t you worry, after each arc is over we will be back with a new episode. But until then, thank you for watching Quackers’ Omake Theatre and have a good night!”

The show faded out with the audience clapping and Shinzo shaking his guest’s hands. 

Maybe this gig wasn't so bad after all?

* * *

Author’s note: Well everyone I hope you enjoyed that little slice of silliness. I know my story is quite grim so it's good to have moments like this to lighten the mood. Next chapter will be the start of the second act. The cadets have a lot to think about now, so drama is bound to unfold.


	12. The Second Platform Opens

**12:00 P.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Second Platform**

In their part of the search, Elizabeth, Kiyoshi and Yijun made their way to the building in the centre of the platform. It had no sign or display saying what it was, and when Elizabeth peeked her head in through the doorway she found that the building was remarkably bland, resembling more of a waiting room than anything else. The only thing that stood out were the metallic doors that were located at the end of the room, which seemed to resemble the entrance of an elevator.

"Well the coast is clear but this is freaking weird. I'd never expect anything like this in a killing game." The Businesswoman said, motioning for the other two to follow her.

"I-I wonder what's behind those doors? I guess it won't be anything good..." Kiyoshi wondered as he slowly crept forward, behind Elizabeth.

"Considering what has come before I wouldn't be surprised. These bastards clearly have no regard for human life," Yijun added as he too made his way inside. He turned his head slightly towards the Voice Actor. "How are you feeling, Master Kaneda? That display of senseless violence can't have been easy for you."

Kiyoshi's face went pale as he looked at Yijun. "U-Um, to be honest, I'm still feeling pretty shaken up. That was just... horrifying to watch! How could anyone be capable of doing that?! Poor Katsumi..." He sighed and looked down.

The Monk placed a feathered hand on the boy's shoulder. "Understandable. You are lucky like most to have not been numbed to horror like some of us." He stated with some pain in his voice. He looked up at the girl, who had moved next to the doors. "What about you, Miss Grey? You seem to be handling all of this remarkably well."

The Elizabeth paused for a moment. "I was in London when the tragedy first started, so I suppose this isn't the first time I've seen death. Poor Katsumi, I don't know what the truth was but he didn't deserve that."

She brushed away some dust and spotted a button to the side. "I think I found the way to open this thing. I guess this really is a lift."

Kiyoshi perked up as he saw the button. Before anything else could be said, he darted forward excitedly and pressed the button. He then turned to Elizabeth. "Oh, well done, Elizabeth! Umm, actually... can I give you a shorter nickname? Lizzie? Liz?" He asked with a bashful smile.

"You are so cute, you know that?” The girl giggled, ruffling a hand through his hair. "Of course, call me either one."

Kiyoshi blushed. "Okay, I'll call you Lizzie!" He replied, his wings fluttering happily.

Yijun smirked as he and the other two made their way into the elevator. "I must say it is a pleasant surprise to see the head of a large company, and an ultimate at that, to be so humble and down to earth. I half expected you to be like one of the Togamis or Towas."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she pressed the button, causing the doors to close and the lift to begin its descent. "Just because I'm rich doesn't make me a bad person. I find it's far easier to get through life without acting like a smug bitch to everyone."

"You're so right! I try to be as nice as I can too!" Kiyoshi said as he grinned at both of them. "And, I'm so happy that I have lots of friendly people here with me, like both of you!"

Yijun and Elizabeth smiled at the boy's enthusiasm as they descended deeper into the depths of the platform. However when they finally came to a stop and the doors opened, that smile quickly vanished. In front of them was a massive room, almost shaped like a bunker, and behind a counter of thick glass there where dozens of racks that stretched all the way to the back of the room. The racks were filled with weapons of all kinds, guns, swords, knives, explosives and even more were stacked to the ceiling. The smell of metal and gunpowder was overwhelming, a mark of the amount of concentrated firepower all under one roof.

"Holy fucking shit..." The girl muttered, almost rendered speechless.

"Wha... what is the meaning of this!?" The Monk exclaimed, as he marched forward.

Kiyoshi gasped, looking completely shocked. "Why so many weapons?! This is horrible!"

"Horrible!? The fuck did you just say mate!?" A voice with a thick brummie accent suddenly shouted from beyond the glass. 

As the Monk stopped in his tracks, suddenly another man wearing one of the gas masks jumped up from behind the counter. "You talking shit about my equipment? I'll fucken twat ya ear off!"

The Monk stood still. "What in the world did he just say?"

The Businesswoman rubbed her eyes. "Good lord it's been a long time since I've heard someone talk like that."

"Oh really? I'm I too common for you ya posh London cow!?" The man continued.

"Don't talk to Lizzie like that..." Kiyoshi muttered to himself before addressing the man. "W-What's this room for, anyway? Why are you here?"

"Firstly, don't tell me what to do ya Jap cunt. Secondly, I'm Captain Arthur. I'm the head Quartermaster of this here armoury." He responded, placing his hands on the counter in front of him.

The Monk frowned. "Captain? Wait, does that mean you're..."

"Before you ask, no. I'm not a higher rank than Quackers. Ranks don't work like that here." Arthur responded.

"So this is the armoury?" Elizabeth mused. "Who's it for?"

"What do you mean 'who's it for'? It's for you lot." The Quartermaster said bluntly. "How on Earth did you lot get past the first trial asking stupid questions like that?"

"What?! But... I don't understand! Why would any of us want to take weapons from your stash?" Kiyoshi said in bewilderment.

"I think that should be obvious," Yijun replied. "They're tools to help us commit murder." 

The Quartermaster nodded his head. "Alright, there we go. Even the giant pigeon seems to be smarter than you." 

Yijun's eyes bugged out with outrage. "Nǐ gǎn bǎ wǒ bǐ zuò yī zhǐ gǒu, nǐ gāisǐ de chī gǒu!" He shouted in his native tongue, between squawks.

"Listen, I don't speak fucking ching chong, so you throwing a fit isn't gonna to do anything," Arthur responded smugly.

The Monk grit his teeth and growled.

Elizabeth frowned. "In any case, if these are for us then when will we be given them?" 

"Oh that's simple, Love. Quackers will detail it further but from what I've been told if you guys achieve certain things you'll be given some kind of access. Other than that I don't know, it's not like I'm told much anyway," Arthur said with a shrug.

Kiyoshi looked defiant as he glanced between everyone in the room. "I still stick by what I said: Why would anyone use these to commit murder after seeing that last trial?"

The Quartermaster went silent for a moment. While his eyes were covered, Kiyoshi could still feel his gaze on him. "They always say that, don't they? 'No more murders! Who'd take the risk after seeing what happened to him?’ Listen, people get executed for murder in many places of the world, but does that stop murders happening? And not only that, you've got to remember something; anyone with a weapon from here is free to take it into the trial by combat. If someone gets really lucky and ends up being the only one with a machine gun, do you really think they’re going to give two shits about facing someone who has to fight with what they can find?"

Kiyoshi was frozen to the spot. "B-But... No, surely..." he muttered, his words shaky. He looked pleadingly at the other two. "G-Guys? Is it really going to happen?"

"No, it’s not," Elizabeth said defiantly. "Come on, we're leaving." She turned around and began to walk towards the elevator doors and was soon followed by the other two. 

"Yeah that's right, fucking run! But I promise you after the shite that’s coming your way hits you, you'll come crawling back!" The Quartermaster let out a loud laugh, which was only silenced when the doors to the lift closed shut.

* * *

**12:30 P.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Second Platform**

Henriette and Janna walked across the platform, searching for what the mastermind had laid ahead. Henriette had been silent for the last hour, very insular and clearly upset.

"Hey uh.....oh gosh," Janna mumbled in response, unsure of what to say, "Talk to me Henny."

The Flutist stopped, looking up at the Gemologist. "This game is so cruel. Why did Katsumi have to die? He was such a good man..." She choked up, tears welling in her eyes.

"I know..." she pondered over what to say next, "He was helpful and kind and that's admirable of him, but what he did to Latia, this all feels like such a nightmare." Janna fiddled with her clothes, feeling a bit chaffed. "On the bright side, at least we're still alive right?" She chuckled nervously, trying to clear the air.

Henriette's face hardened, wiping a tear from her eye. "No. I don't believe it! Katsumi was framed, he must have been!" She exclaimed. "You saw the look in his eyes, he wasn't lying!"

"I don't wish to believe it either, but it was either him or us," Janna remarked, trying to allay the flautist's fears, "I know that sounds cruel to say and I don't think any less of Katsumi. I just wish we weren't forced to play this game, then no one would have to die."

The Flutist grit her teeth and continued to walk towards the large building ahead of them. "Mother and Father always warned me about getting close to people, saying it would endanger the bloodline. I swear I won't let those responsible get away with this!"

As they finally reached the entrance of the building they saw that it was made of solid oak and looked rather old, an oddity for the oil rig. Stepping towards the door, Janna opened it and looked inside. The interior of the building was incredible, books lined the shelves on bookcases lining the walls and glass windows near the ceiling allowed light to shine across the length of the room. Tables, chairs and ladders were all included to help in the reading of books in this library.

"Ooh this looks so fancy," her eyes light up upon seeing this place, "Why don't we try reading some books, it might help take your mind off of that....."

"Do you like romance?"

Henriette glared at her for that suggestion.

"Heh... You clearly can't tell when it's not the right time to bring up such a topic." A male voice suddenly rang out. As the two girls looked in the voice's direction, they could see the Engineer sat down reading a book full of charts.

"Oh I'm so sorry....." she blushed nervously, flummoxed by his presence, "I didn't mean it like that Henny.....I'm just trying to cheer you up."

"It's... fine." Henriette forced out, before looking at Erick. "And what are you laughing at? You think this is all amusing!?"

"Amusing? Oh no, far from it." The boy said, as he placed his book down. "How could any sane man find that _farce_ of a trial amusing?"

"Whatever do you mean Ricky," Janna asks, playfully giving him a pet name, "I don't understand, didn't we see him die?"

Erick looked at her flatly. "Where did they kidnap you from? A Mensa meeting?"

"I have no idea what that means," she puffed her cheeks out annoyedly, "But I don't see how you could fake all of that...do you really think Latia's killer was someone else?"

Erick rolled his eyes, getting up and placing his hat back on his head. "Let me spell this out in words even you can understand. I'm not saying that Latia or Katsumi's deaths were faked. I'm saying that I think there's more to that case than meets the eye."

Henriette's eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well for one, there's evidence that doesn't match how Quackers said the murder unfolded. Quackers said that Katsumi punched Latia in the head to knock her out, but I was one of the people who examined her body and I can say with almost certainty that the mark on her head matched no fists I've ever seen."

"How do you know who's fists match the wound, if I may ask," the Gemologist curiously eyed the Engineer, unaware of his glares, "I don't think we had the time or proper tools to investigate it....I'm not an expert myself, but I do agree that this is all very strange."

Erick facepalmed. "No you idiot! The wound on her head looked like it had some kind of marking, like a pattern. Like she'd been bashed in the head with something. And not only that his testimony didn't make any sense. He said that while watching TV for two and a half hours and he heard no one leave the rooms, but wouldn't he have heard Tyler leave to look for Latia? Why didn't he mention that!?"

"That's true, it does seem odd to expunge that from his testimony," she brushed back her hair, "Also you don't need to be so rude about it, Erick. We're all very upset about what just happened, there's no need to be so callous and pompous just because you want to prove a point."

"Pardon for me saying that...I'm just a little tired..." she yawns, "Henny are you alright?"

"Yeah... I'm fine. If anything this just proves I'm right about Katsumi," Henriette said defiantly. She turned to Erick, eyes narrowing. "Though I have to ask how did you pick up on all of this? Seems a bit odd an engineer would notice such things."

Erick scoffed, brushing past them towards the exit. "If you two are simply too stupid to match my grand intellect then that's your fault, though clearly that was always the case. No intelligent woman would fall in love with a man she'd just met," he said dismissively, before leaving them alone in the building.

A moment of silence passed in the room, Henriette standing in complete silence.

"Well casual sexism aside, why don't we try to put this all past us," Janna calmed herself down, "There’s still hope right? Why don't we throw an all-girls get together tonight? Sound like fun?"

Henriette balled her hands into fists as she shook, but soon she took a few breaths to calm her down. "Yeah, that sounds nice. Don't worry about me, dear. If experience has taught me anything it’s that pigs like him always get what they deserve."

"Everything will be alright...." she twirls her hair, "Let’s just focus on the good for now, hon." she smiles at the flutist.

* * *

**1:00 P.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Second Platform**

"What the fuck is wrong with this thing!?" Roman asked in frustration as he tried to open the door in front of him. He and a group made up of Tyler, Joan, Nolan and Tala were currently standing in front of a tall, grey building and for the last few minutes had not had much luck getting inside. No matter how hard Roman pulled on the handle, the door would simply not budge.

"Have you tried pushing it instead? Joan asked flatly, as usual.

"Yes I have, Ms Smartass," Roman replied sarcastically. "And it didn't do bugger all!"

Nolan frowned, attempting to open the door in various ways himself. After a moment he sighed. “So much for us exploring this area.”

"Hang on, let me give it a go," Tala suddenly said as she stepped forward and rolled up her sleeves.

Roman smirked. "Look love, if I can't get it open you sure as shit won't be."

The girl flashed him a toothy grin before she began to push on the door. Standing back for a brief moment she looked at the door thoughtfully, before kicking it. As if it were made of paper the door flew into the room off its hinges, crashing loudly as it hit a wall ahead of it.

"There we go, never leave a man to do a woman's job!" She said with a wink.

“Wha-what the fu-” Nolan coughed, his eyes widening as a slack jawed expression appeared on his face. “Tala, how did you...?” He sputtered, unable to finish his sentence.

"Yeah, I agree! How the fuck did you do that!?" Roman with a shocked expression.

The girl laughed cheerfully. "I work out a lot, and eat lots of protein," she said as she began to make her way into the building. "Come on, let's see what's inside!" she said with a flick of her hair.

The group were silent in shock for a moment, before Roman quipped. "I feel for the poor bastard that tries to cheat on her."

"Yes. She is... quite the woman." Joan said, before looking down at Tyler. "Come on, let's get going."

"Yeah... alright." Tyler said flatly as he followed the rest of them inside.

Nolan frowned, eyeing Tyler for a second before sighing and shoving his hands into his pockets and following the group inside.

As the group entered they walked down a corridor, which lead to a door. When they opened it the sight they found was incredible. Beyond the door was a large room which seemed to have the remnants of a party inside. Sofas, tables and the floor where covered in empty beer cans, plastic glasses and packets of crisps and other snacks. The room had a large widescreen TV to the side of it, with a PS4 and a karaoke set attached to it. On the other end was a shelf with DVDs, Blu-rays and games all lined up, though some of them were also strewn about the room. At the shelf, Tala was looking through the films when she heard the others walk in. She turned around happily, holding a Blu-ray box.

"Looks like someone had a party, and they had great taste in movies too! I haven't watched An American Werewolf in London for years!" She said.

"Jesus! It smells of beer and piss in here! Reminds me of my mate's stag night." Roman said, entering the room.

Tyler's eyes immediately lit up as he saw the gaming system under the TV. "Finally some fucking gaming in here!" He cried as he ran towards it. "Ah man! A fucking PS4! Now I can't get back my gamerscore!"

Joan's stoic face allowed a small smile as she saw the boy rummaging through the system as she turned to Nolan. "It's good to see him cheerful again. Though I don't know how long it will last." She said quietly to him.

Nolan quietly observed the younger kid, a small smile working its way onto his face as he approached Tyler, setting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Hey Tyler, how about after we investigate the rest of this room, you and I can go a couple of rounds or so, game of your choice.” The blue eyed boy smirked. “Don’t underestimate me, by the way. I can do more than play around with ice!” He joked.

Tyler instinctively flinched away from Nolan's touch, looking at him with hostility. But after a moment he looked him up and down and smiled smugly. "Alright faggot, you're on! I'll beat your ass in any game, just you wait and see! I'm not an Ace for nothing!"

"Glad to see his potty mouth hasn't left him," Tala said with an eye roll. "But I think some fun might help calm everyone down with all the crazy shit that's going on."

"What the... hey guys, take a look at this!" Roman suddenly interrupted as he looked at the wall behind the sofa.

As the rest of the cadets looked in the direction it soon became clear what he meant. Hanging on the wall was a long banner which said "Farewell 51st Battalion! Have a great journey home!"

“Huh? 51st Battalion?” Nolan inquired, examining the banner. “Was someone else here before us? Well, I guess that would explain some things...” The Ice Sculptor trailed off with a frown.

Tala crossed her arms. "The thing is we don't actually know much about this oil rig. I'd never even heard of it until now. Although if a military Battalion was on this platform at some point it might explain the military equipment laying around, as well at this killing game's theme."

Tyler looked at both of them curiously. "Well what the fuck is this all meant to mean!? Is this game being run by some army dudes?"

Roman frowned. "I don't know, but some of my contacts told me that part of the reason the tragedy spread so fast was that a lot of the armies of the world got corrupted by despair. Since they had all the guns things got nasty very quickly. But I heard that all the despair paramilitaries had been wiped out by now."

“We can’t assume that right now, especially if they’re being led by a guiding force.” Nolan cautioned, closing his eyes thoughtfully. “We should make it a point of figuring out what happened to these men.”

"Agreed. We should bring this up to the others as soon as possible. Because if some guiding force was able to take out an entire battalion, then they must be a serious threat. Only a truly powerful member of Ultimate Despair would be able to do something like this," Joan said, before crossing herself.

* * *

**1:30 P.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Second Platform**

“These docks go on far longer than we may have first expected. Look down here, there’s an entire second level,” Pietro said as he motioned to a set of stairs that lead downwards.

He and a group of Anastasia, Cecelia and Wolfgang had stayed behind at the docks were the ship had first docked in order to see if there was anything else that they might need to know, and to discuss the materials that had been brought onto the rig earlier.

“I still don’t know why you need me to be here,” the Mercenary said, following in his direction. “Most of my experience is deep in land, I’ve barely worked at sea.”

“I’m not interested in your experiences at sea. You’re the Ultimate Mercenary, considering the state of the world you surely must have experience with matters involving nuclear materials.” The Inquisitor replied, before looking at Wolfgang. “Similarly, you recognised the box for what it was and also seemed to know about what the masked soldiers are wearing. Any information that you may have might be critically important.”

The Saxophonist smirked as he tried to avoid touching any of the dirty dockyard. “While I appreciate the recognition, I’m afraid I only know what I do from my studies. I have a keen interest in history and I find military history to be one of the most fascinating areas of that subject. After all, a royal must learn of the past’s mistakes to avoid repeating them”

Pietro nodded before looking to the Naval Commander. Cecelia had been unusually quiet since the ship had been sighted, and if it really were her ship as she said, he could understand her apparent distress.

“Cecelia, are you alright?” He asked.

The Naval Commander cleared her throat. “Y-yes, I’m fine. I’m just… worried about my crew.”

The Inquisitor nodded grimly as they continued down the stairs. The docks did indeed go on further than had been expected, with barrels and boxes lined up under a crane which seemed to be used to load up cargo. In addition to this various ramshackle modifications had been made to the area, with military banners and posters hanging on a few of the walls.

Most of the decorations seemed to be basic motivational material for the British Army, however one propaganda poster that stood out among the others was of Quackers standing side by side with Monokuma. They were pointing triumphantly towards the European continent, with an entire army of masked men readying to attack it. The words displayed on the poster said “Let go of your shackles and free your brothers. Despair unites us all!”

“Seems the mastermind really feels the need to hammer home the whole ‘fall to despair’ shit,” Anastasia commented with a frown. “Still not sure why they felt the need to go all out with the army theme though.”

The Inquisitor scowled as he looked at the poster, before forcing his eyes away from it and looking at the rest of the assembled group.

“This game is mockery of military pride and by God’s will, I will make them pay for their disrespect. However for now we need to focus on the current most pressing issue. We all saw what that box was labelled with. While it could have simply been an attempt to unnerve us, I believe that given the current circumstances it is highly possible that the ones in charge of this killing game might be developing weapons,” he said, before turning to Cecelia. “Plus considering they have hijacked your ship, given the current message they are spouting, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were planning some kind of attack.”

The Naval Commander nodded. “As much as I hate to admit it, that seems very likely. If they’ve managed to take my ship then they must have impressive military strength. The Peletier is a ship built by the best in the Novoselian navy. It would take more than just a few despairs to completely hijack it.”

The Mercenary put a hand on her hip. “From what I've seen when pirates attempt to hijack a ship they normally rely on the crew simply giving up to avoid injury. But I highly doubt that a fully equipped battleship would surrender that easily.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Wolfgang said, folding his arms “I should also comment that the ship we saw didn’t have any signs of battle damage on it. If someone were to take a ship of that size by force they would have to use heavy firepower just to disable its defences, let alone deal with crew.”

“What are you implying?” The Naval Commander asked, steel in her voice. “Are suggesting that my crew surrendered? How dare you even suggest that! We would never surrender to Ultimate Despair. Novoselic has seen what seen first-hand the horrors they can inflict. We’d rather die than be taken captive!”

“I hate to burst your bubble, Commander, but the only way ships end up in enemy hands that unscathed is if they surrender without a fight… Unless of course they had someone on the inside working with them and as your talent oh so helpfully reminds us, you were the commander of that ship.” Wolfgang replied, eyeing her suspiciously.

Cecelia flew into a rage. “You son of a bitch!” She shouted swinging a fist towards him and catching him in the jaw. Wolfgang staggered back and caught himself on some barrels.

“Woah! What the fuck!?” Anastasia cried as she grabbed the Naval Commander, holding her back. “Calm down!”

“Get the fuck off me!” The Naval Commander roared.

Wolfgang was stunned into silence for a moment, before looking at her fiercely. “How dare you strike someone of royal blood you filthy cunt!”

“ENOUGH!” The Inquisitor shouted, pulling Cecelia by the collar and throwing her to the ground. “This is exactly what the mastermind wants, for us to fight amongst ourselves!” He turned to Wolfgang. “And you need watch your damn mouth. Throwing around accusations like that isn’t helping anyone.”

“Seems I arrived at a good moment,” Dr Richards said, suddenly appearing at the top of the stairs. “The action is in full sway.”

Pietro looked up at the Researcher. “Dr Richards. Good to see you can finally join us.”

The Doctor chuckled. “Happy to be here. I apologise for taking so long but scrubbing out blood and bone shards is not an easy task when all you have is shampoo and a shower head to work with,” he said, pointing to his now clean, but clearly stained lab coat.

Anastasia stared at him, unbelievingly. “Wait, you’re going to keep wearing that thing? It’s still stained from where you cut open Latia!”

Dr Richards looked down at his coat and shrugged. “I don’t see what the problem is. It’s completely dry and it doesn’t smell anymore. I would have done it later but Erick insisted I do it before the trial so that I didn’t, and I quote, ‘walk around looking like a killer from a horror film’, or something of the like.”

“Jesus, fuck…” Wolfgang muttered quietly.

The Inquisitor cleared his throat. “Yes, that was the reason, wasn’t it? Anyway, to get back on topic, we were discussing the threat that the mastermind of this rig might be far larger than just us in the killing game.”

“Yes, I know what you mean,” Dr Richards said, stepping down the stairs. “You’re worried about the contents of that box, aren't you? Well from what I have seen in my time I would agree that if the box does indeed contain nuclear materials, then it could indeed be used for the production of nuclear weapons. Granted that they also had the other necessary resources, of course.”

“He looked towards the downed Naval Commander. “You there, Miss Perry. Would your ship happen to have the ability to fire nuclear warheads?”

The Commander stood up, brushing the dirt off her jacket. “We didn’t have any nuclear warheads stored on the ship when I was last on it, but it does have the ability to fire surface-to-air missiles. I suppose with some modification it would be theoretically possible to do so.”

“Are you guys saying that these despairs might be planning a nuclear strike?” Anastasia asked. “Dude, even during the tragedy getting your hands on weapons like that wasn't easy. How the fuck did these guys get so much stuff?”

“I don’t know,” Pietro responded, now puffing a suddenly lit cigar in his mouth. “But we’ll have to find out quickly, or all of God’s creation could be at risk, along with millions of his faithful.”

Wolfgang blinked. “Where did you get that cigar from? I didn’t see you light it.”

The Inquisitor blew out a large cloud of smoke and grinned at the Saxophonist. “Don’t worry, my son. I, like the Lord, have my ways.” He said, taking the cigar out of his mouth and looking at the propaganda posters. “And just like with Sodom and Gomorrah, I will reign fire and brimstone down on these sinners.”

He then pressed the lit end of the cigar into the face of Monokuma. The poster immodestly lit alight, consuming the images of the bear, Quackers and all of their followers in a burning inferno…

* * *

 **Author’s Note:** Special thanks to Parafin, JCW18 and Prince PokePersona for helping with the RP segments of this chapter and to MudkipOfDespair and StoryProducer214 for being my betas.

I will begin responding to reviews again after this chapter. There have been some changes as you may be aware so I am sort of starting this segment afresh.


	13. Letters from the front

**6:00 P.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Platform One**

**Mess Hall**

Later on, the cadets finished their search of the second platform and made their way back to the mess hall, where dinner was finally served by Pietro and Nolan.

Many of the gathered group were still in shock from the events of that morning, however by this point, their hunger pangs had become overwhelming, and so they ate slowly but surely.

“Alright, everyone. Now that we are finally gathered back here, I suppose this would be the best time to ask. What did you all find during the search of the newly opened platform?” The Inquisitor asked the group.

Nolan looked shyly up from his plate. “I-I can go first if you guys like,” he said. “My group found what looks like an entertainment area. It had games and movies in it. I think we could all have some fun there!”

“Yeah, I think that would be a good idea,” Tala commented. “Though I should mention that we also found a banner in there. It said something about a 51st Battalion. You guys ever hear of something like that?”

Cecelia’s eyes narrowed in thought. “I’ve heard of a lot of famous military units in my time, but never anything about a 51st.” She turned to face Tala. “You say there was a banner in there mentioning it? What did it say? Any other information?”

Tala stretched her arms. “Nah, not really. All it said was ‘Farewell 51st Battalion! Have a great journey home!’ So I can only assume they left before we got here.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Erick said, suddenly interjecting. “You’ve seen the masked men roaming around and all of the equipment that they have. That must have all come from somewhere.”

“Then maybe it is as I feared. Perhaps Ultimate Despair took this place by force and slayed those on it.” Joan said.

“Look, I know I mentioned soldiers affected by despair during the tragedy, but I really don’t think they’d be able to take a place like this by force and keep it in one piece. I mean, with all the guns and men on it, this place is like a fucking fortress.” Roman commented.

“Regardless, we don’t know much about what happened on this oil rig before we got here, so it would be a fool's errand to even try at the moment… Though considering the people here, I doubt that will stop them.” Erick responded.

Roman glared at the Engineer. “Alright then, Mr fucking perfect. What the fuck did you find then!?”

Erick crossed his arms. “I happened to stumble upon the library and I got to enjoy some well needed peace and quiet until I was interrupted,” he said, casting a glance towards Henriette and Janna.

“Yeah, that’s right. There’s an entire library here and it looks like it has lots of books. I was a little surprised that there was one here, but I think it could be lots of fun!” Janna added, trying to sound positive.

Yijun chuckled. “I suppose a distraction from all of this chaos can only help. However I should ask, did any of the books prove useful? The masterminds of these games tend to leave clues in such unusual areas.”

Erick shrugged. “I did find some maps about the sea and our location in it, however I haven’t had time to truly search the area. According to what I can see, we are currently stranded in the middle of the North Sea miles away from any land in all directions. Though according to the books we are still technically in British waters, so I suppose it's a relief not to be too far from home.”

“I guess you’re right there.” Elizabeth said. “Unfortunately, my group found something far worse than that. In the building we searched, there’s a lift that goes down into the platform and inside there is this massive armoury. There are weapons everywhere and Arthur said that they were intended for us.”

A flurry of mutterings filled the room as the news sunk in, filling most of them with dread.

“Wait a moment, who is this Arthur?” Wolfgang suddenly interrupted.

“Oh yeah, we should mention that,” Kiyoshi said. “One of the masked men was stationed down there as the Quartermaster. He called himself Captain Arthur and he was really mean to us.”

 ** _“That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?”_** Quackers suddenly interrupted as he walked into the mess hall, flanked by two guards. ** _“Arthur’s only trying to help in his own… special way.”_**

“What do _you_ want?” Pietro asked spitefully. 

**_“Straight to the point, Reverend? Good, I respect that,”_** The Sergeant said with a chuckle. **_“I’m here for a couple of reasons, the first being to give you all a well earned reward for making it past the first trial.”_**

“W-what kind of reward?” Janna asked somewhat nervously.

“If it’s coming from you, it can’t be anything good,” Tala growled.

 ** _“My dear, why are you so paranoid? All I am offering is some information about what is happening outside of the camp. It’s so you can all stay updated with current events.”_** Quackers said as he motioned to the guard on his left.

The guard placed a bag on the table to his side and rifled through it, producing sixteen sealed envelopes. He then took a hold of them and retook his place by Quackers’ side.

 ** _Sixteen telegrams, one for each of you.”_** The Sergeant said as his gaze drifted across each of them. There was hesitation. ** _“Well? What are you all waiting for? Come and take one.”_**

Wolfgang scoffed. “Why should we? For all we know, anything in those letters could be lies. We have no reason to believe you.”

“I can’t believe I’m agreeing with him, but Wolfgang has a point.” Dr Richards added. “Besides, this isn’t the first time that a killing game has fed information to the participants to incite them to murder.”

Elizabeth folded her arms. “I mean, you both have a point, but what if there's something really important happening? We need to learn everything we can.”

Quackers looked at the Businesswoman with a wicked grin. **_“Exactly. Besides, don’t you want to know what’s happening to your company… or your dear brother, Anton?”_**

At the mention of her brother, Elizabeth’s demeanor was immediately shaken, her face becoming noticeably paler.

“What- What about my brother?” She started, not being able to really put the sentence together. “Give me that!” She demanded abruptly as she marched towards the letters.

“Liz, wait!” Nolan cried as he got up from his seat and rushed beside her.

“Oh for God sake…” Erick muttered to himself as he rose to join them.

Slowly but surely, all of the cadets made their way towards the guard and one by one were handed their letters. As they each read the envelope, one detail immediately stood out.

“12th of April, 2021…” Joan read aloud.

“Shit, that’s the date!?” Roman asked. “It sure as shit wasn’t April before we woke up.”

“I believe we may be suffering from what has happened to many of the other killing game participants in the past. Time is typically lost to them, which normally indicates memory loss of some kind,” Dr Richards said, before turning to Pietro. “Did something such as that happen to you during your killing game?”

The Inquisitor crossed his arms. “Actually, my classmates and I were not subjected to such violation. I thank the lord for that.”

The Doctor paused, as if he wasn’t expecting that answer. “Oh… well then, I suppose that theory wasn’t quite as certain as I suspected.”

 ** _“You’re sure right about that, brainiac.”_** Quackers responded, deadpan. **_“I’ll just tell you now that none of you have had any memories taken. As for the reason for the missing days… well, you’ll just have to figure that out for yourselves, won’t you?”_**

“Of course we do. When is anything fucking simple with you?” Anastasia replied sarcastically.

The Sergeant frowned, clicking his heel loudly. **_“That’s enough cheek! Stop pissing around and open the damn telegrams! All of you, that’s an order!”_**

After a bit of grumbling, the cadets opened up their telegrams and began to read the letters within. As they read the information on the pages, it very quickly became clear to each of them that their captors knew a lot about them, and the reactions of many of them proved that point further.

“Wait a minute. What the… the fuck is this supposed to mean!?” Roman cried, suddenly looking quite worried. 

“What kind of news is this!?” Yijun added angrily.

Nolan looked up from his telegram with shock, before looking over to Kiyoshi, who had begun shaking. The ice sculptor rushed over to his side.

“Are you alright? What’s wrong?” He asked him.

“Oh-oh no… Nolan please, I-” Kiyoshi tried to speak, but found himself unable to.

Nolan wrapped an arm around him, bringing him into a hug. “It’s alright, it’s going to be fine.” He said, trying to comfort him.

Dr Richards read the paper in silence, his face unflinching before he looked at the Sergeant, looking very serious.

“This is a lie. It has to be. There’s no way that could have possibly happened. There are too many safeguards in place.”

 ** _“It’s a shame to see you all embrace denial so quickly, instead of confronting the reality that I present. I suppose Katsumi was the first among you to do that,”_** the Sergeant said, shaking his head. **_“Well, if you won’t take me on my word, how about I prove that I do indeed know what I’m talking about?”_**

“Explain yourself. Now!” Cecelia barked in response.

Quackers grinned. **_“Turn the telegrams over. I think the information on the other side will speak for itself.”_**

One by one, the cadets turned over their telegrams and indeed, more words were waiting for them. If the reaction to the initial information had been cold, then the reaction to this was outright frozen, as the entire room fell silent.

The first to break the silence was Elizabeth, who spoke in a flat tone she had never used till this point.

“Alright, you’ve proven your point,” she said as she glared at the Sergeant. “What is this? Your next sick motive or something?”

 ** _“Motive?”_** Quackers responded with a mock innocence. **_“Oh no, no, no! This is nothing of the sort. This is simply my way of introducing you all to the next stage of your training: espionage.”_**

The Sergeant paused for a moment, looking at their reactions before continuing. ** _“To prepare you for your next assignment, these telegrams, along with any others I decide to give to you, will be used to train your ability to keep classified information away from your peers. I have added a new law to the camp in order to ensure this.”_**

At that moment, the field guides on each of the cadets’ wrists lit up and the new rule was displayed on the screen.

* * *

** Laws of Skyford Bootcamp **

  1. Any telegrams addressed to a cadet are considered to be property of the camp, and as such, there is an expected level of care that the cadet in question must adhere to while in possession of the property. Therefore any attempts to damage, destroy or in any way place the telegram in a position where it cannot be readily produced by the cadet are strictly forbidden. Also the information given to each cadet is considered to be on a need to know basis, so it is forbidden to share what has been said to any other cadets. Any attempt to break this rule will result in the secret of the cadet written on the underside of the telegram being broadcast to the entire base.



* * *

**_“As you can see, this is the first part of your training in espionage. You must each guard that telegram with your life, unless you wish to have your deepest, darkest secrets revealed to the world. This will be a task that you will all have to follow until the end of the camp, at which time you will be free to do with them as you will.”_ **

“Wait a minute, we can’t even say what the information is!? But some of this might be important!” Roman cried.

**_“Well if it’s that impotent then go right ahead and tell everyone what your telegram said. That is if you are fine with everyone knowing what your secret is, then go right ahead!”_ **

At that moment, Kiyoshi, looking very distressed, broke away from the group and stormed out of the mess hall, telegram gripped tightly in his hand.

“Kiyoshi, wait!” Nolan called out, but found no response forthcoming as the voice actor disappeared outside.

**_“Stupid boy. I suppose someone else will need to inform him about the second reason that I came here.”_ **

Pietro looked at him, face visibly distraught as he gazed back up from the telegram. “What else are you cursing us with!? Is this not enough!?”

**_“Relax, will you? This has nothing to do with your next assignment. I have simply been observing the progression of your stay here, and I have come to the decision that it is fundamentally unfair that some of you possess firearms while others among you don’t. So I thought that now would be as good a time as ever to organise a firearms practice session, scheduled for tomorrow morning.”_ **

“Firearms practice? You mean we’re going to get to shoot some guns?” Roman asked.

**_“Indeed you will. And to make things slightly fairer for those of you currently unarmed, the one here without professional training that shows the most accuracy will be rewarded a weapon from the armoury.”_ **

“Wait, you’re giving us more guns? Why would you do that?” Wolfgang wondered.

“He’s obviously trying to make it easier for us to kill each other. It is something we must resist.” Joan replied.

The Saxophonist scoffed. “While that may be true, doesn’t it seem odd he’d arm more of the very people he’s trying to control?”

Henriette glared at the Sergeant. “Well, whatever the case, we won’t fall for your tricks. Armed or not, you won’t get us to kill each other. I won’t let Katsumi’s fate befall anyone else!”

Quackers rolled his eyes as he turned on his heels and began to make his way out of the room, men in tow. “ ** _You can believe whatever you wish. Just be ready for tomorrow’s practice. However, I should note that the reason I have chosen espionage now will soon become apparent to you all. Because if there’s one thing that war teaches us…”_** He paused, looking behind his shoulder at the gathered cadets. **_“It’s that not everyone is as they first seem...”_**

With a glint of red in his eye, and a smirk on his lips, Quackers exited the room, leaving the cadets to wonder what he meant by those words.

_A few moments later…_

“What kind of bullshit is that duck trying to pull?” Anastasia said as she exited from the kitchen, a knife now strapped to her belt. “We weren’t causing enough drama for his liking, so he decides to add this secret letter shit to the mix. Fuck that guy.”

Elizabeth sat at her table, still looking quite disturbed by what she had read as she looked at the remaining people in the room. Anastasia, Yijun, Janna and Nolan were all that were left in the hall after Quackers’ speech, as most had left the room hastily. The Businesswoman, however, had not said much since reading her telegram.

“Liz… are you okay?” Nolan asked with clear concern in his voice. “D-Did something happen to your brother? Quackers mentioned that, didn’t he?”

Elizabeth took another look at her now closed letter and sighed. “Listen, I know you're trying to help but I’d really rather not talk about it.” She said, trying to seem less gloomy. “If anyone needs our attention, it’s Kiyoshi. I really don't think he’s handling all this well.” 

“I agree with that.” Yijun responded. “The poor boy has clearly never had to deal with such pressures before. I really would like to have a word with him at some point. His anxieties might be affecting him in many ways, including his inability to fly.”

Janna fiddled with her gems. “That sounds like a great idea!” She said, trying to sound cheery. “You two would make great friends. You could be the bird bros!”

The Monk grinned. “Bird bros… I never thought I’d hear that term. However, I think the first issue is helping him and some of the others get prepared for these firearms training exercises tomorrow.” He said, turning to the Mercenary. “Ms Klevorick, if you would be so kind, could you please try and locate Kiyoshi and inform him of tomorrow's plans? I think if anyone would be able to teach him the basics of firearms safety, it would be you.”

Anastasia nodded. “Yeah, I’ll brief him down. Hopefully some of the others like our Naval Commander will chip in with the training by tomorrow, but I’ll try my best.”

Anastasia then left the room. As she left, Janna spotted the new knife on her belt. “I don’t mean to sound like a worry, but why is she now wearing that kitchen knife?”

“She’s probably doing it for self-defence, and honestly I don’t blame her. We have people running around with guns already, so I think it's justified to be a bit paranoid.” Elizabeth responded.

“Yeah, I suppose you're right…” Janna said, before straightening up and smiling brightly. “Actually, Lizzy, I had this idea to help cheer Henriette up and I think you’d be great for it. I’m thinking an all girls get together. It would be like a sleep over! We can hang out and watch movies and everything!”

The Businesswoman smiled. “Yeah, maybe. I could use some cheering up after this… We’ll talk to some of the others tomorrow morning, but I think we could work something out.”

“Well, at least you girls will have some fun,” the Monk said, before frowning. “However, something Quackers said is still bothering me. He said something about not everyone being as they seem, and given that the theme going forward will be espionage, could it be that he is hinting towards someone in our ranks?”

“Hey come on, don’t talk like that! Don’t let Quackers get into your head! For all we know, he could just be trying to make us paranoid.” Nolan said hopefully.

“I hope you’re right, Nolan.” Elizabeth said. “But if my family has taught me anything, it’s that you can never be too careful...”

* * *

**7:00 P.M Day Three**

**Skyford Oil Rig**

**Second Platform**

Kiyoshi looked over the rail onto the quiet sea. Struggling to control his breathing, he gripped onto the telegram in his hands tightly, looking down at it every so often before forcing his gaze away from it.

When he heard footsteps coming from behind him, he quickly turned around and hid it behind his back.

“That letter freak you out?” Anastasia asked with a sombre expression. “It’s alright. I can’t say mine was probably any better.”

"Y-Yeah... It really freaked me out..." Kiyoshi replied, whimpering as he looked down at the ground.

The Mercenary shook her head as she walked to the rail next to him and leaned back on it. "I can't believe this is the duck's idea of 'rewarding us'. This shit is a motive in everything but name... But that doesn't matter right now. You left before he could tell you, but we've got firearms training tomorrow and if I were to hazard a guess, I'd imagine that you've never even held a gun before, let alone fired one."

Kiyoshi looked up at the girl with some shock and nodded his head. "Y-Yeah, that’s right. I've never touched a gun. I-Is that really true? I don’t want to fire a gun... I-I really could end up shooting someone by accident or something!"

The girl laughed. "You sound like I did when I first got started, but Fenrir very quickly beat that out of me."

"Fenrir? Isn't that some group of soldiers?" Kiyoshi pondered, before his eyes widened. "T-Then, you could teach me how I can use the gun safely! Please? I couldn't forgive myself if..." He trailed off.

Anastasia put a hand up. "Jesus, dude, relax. The first rule of handling a gun is to stay calm. Otherwise you _will_ end up shooting someone."

"That's a good point... It's just that I really panic when I'm scared. You remember that time when I, umm, got tossed off the edge," Kiyoshi said as he sighed.

"Yeah, I remember. That duck is a bastard. Just try not to let him get to you." She said, standing up from the railing. She then began to mine the actions of handling a firearm. "The first thing you need to know is how to stand correctly. Stand with your feet firmly on the ground and look down the sights of the weapon." She looked over to him. "Give it a go, just follow my lead."

"O-Okay," Kiyoshi nodded. He was a bit shaky, but he managed to position himself correctly.

"Yeah, that's alright for your first try. Just remember that you only point your weapon at something you are prepared to destroy, and don't even think about firing it sideways like some fucking gangster. I can't begin to tell you how many rookies try that shit to look cool." She said, returning to a neutral position.

"Oh, no, that sounds incredibly dangerous... Umm, can I ask what exactly this 'Fenrir' is about? I barely know anything about them, apart from being soldiers with guns." Kiyoshi inquired of the girl.

The girl's eyes widened for a moment. "Heh, I probably shouldn't have mentioned that, but I'm surprised you've never heard of them. Look, when I started my career, I trained and ran with them for about a year but I never officially became a member," she said as she showed the back of her hand, revealing that it was completely bare of anything. "So you guys don't have to worry about that."

"Oh, phew! I'm a lot more comfortable knowing that," Kiyoshi said, offering a weak smile at her.

"I couldn't take the restrictive structure of it. Especially after that bitch Mukuro took over, that was it for me. I left as soon as I could. I have far more important things I need to deal with than some girl with a sister complex bossing me around." Anastasia replied with some bitterness in her voice.

"Oh, I've heard of that Mukuro recently. I thought she was, like, part of that hope organisation, though." Kiyoshi replied as he scratched his head.

Anastasia rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I couldn't care less about what she or they're doing now, and I don't really want to talk about it. They aren't the ones that made me what I am today, I did." She glanced at Kiyoshi. "Well, since you got me to tell you my backstory, it's only fair you return the favour. Why don't you tell me how you got those wings? I thought the monster shit was a UK thing."

"Oh, it was!" Kiyoshi confirmed. "I was just visiting London on vacation when it happened. I'll never forget the moment my transformation happened. I love my wings so much!" He smiled, and almost in a response, his wings fluttered happily.

The girl smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Nice to see someone embrace the transformation for a change." She replied.

"Oh, yeah, I was happy with it right from the start! I mean, when I first transformed, I was confused for, like, 5 seconds? But there was this other guy called Robin standing next to me, and he also changed! He got some awesome ice powers! We both totally loved what we'd gained! We laughed about it and checked out our new transformations and powers and everything!" Kiyoshi explained, finishing off with a beaming smile.

The Mercenary folded her arms. "I guess you got lucky. I heard some people got far worse... Actually, considering what we've seen on this rig with Umiko and the others, I _know_ it could have been worse."

"Y-Yeah. Poor Umiko... I'm so glad I didn't end up like her." Kiyoshi replied with a sigh.

"Agreed. Anyway, to get back on topic, at least you won't be going into tomorrow completely blind. Yijun only wanted me to talk to you, but I think I might try and catch some of the other less experienced members here. I think I might try and speak to Nolan next. I doubt he's got any experience either."

"Maybe not, but Nolan sure is a great guy! We're both such good friends already!" Kiyoshi beamed.

"I can tell. He's quite the budding ladies’ man as well." Anastasia replied with a grin.

"Yeah... Wait, what do you mean by that?" Kiyoshi asked, raising an eyebrow.

She smirked. "You've seen how well he's gotten along with Lizzy. They're practically a married couple already. Not that I blame her, he's a sweet guy and he's fun to tease. Whatever the case, I just know he's going to make some girl really happy one day.”

All too suddenly, the Voice Actor's right eye began to twitch, and his expression morphed into anger. His wings stretched out violently, doubling his size and casting the girl in shadow, as he jabbed a finger at Anastasia, raising his voice.

"What are you trying to say?! Is it totally impossible that Nolan could be happy with a boy?! Take that back! And Liz had better not try anything with Nolan, because if she does, I'll make her stop!" Kiyoshi shouted at her, as he breathed rapidly.

The Mercenary flinched back, instinctively grabbing the knife on her belt. "What the- What the fuck is wrong with you!?" She shouted in complete shock.

"Oh, are you _seriously_ asking that question? What the fuck is wrong with _me_?! What the... fuck is wrong with me...?!" Kiyoshi's seething expression faltered a bit. Tears began to fall down his face, and he started sobbing as he ran away from Anastasia. "J-Just go away! Please, just stay away from me!" He shouted back to her.

The girl stood alone in stunned silence.

"Where did _that_ come from?" She muttered to herself, her voice slightly shaken.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry this took longer than usual. I’ll try not to take so long going forward for future chapters but sadly life gets in the way. Also I’d like to welcome Parafin to the beta team, and so thanks to him and StoryProducer214 as always. Also thanks to Parafin for RPing Kiyoshi in the last scene. I think it went really well.

Also I have received a lot of good feedback about my Blood in the Stars pitch, so chances are it will happen at some point. I will update about that when I am in a better position to pursue such a story.

* * *

**Review Section:**

doomqwer: Things sound grim, don’t they?

bellatrixshine: I’m sure Cecelia is innocent. I mean when in a Danganronpa game has anyone not been as they seem?

Trygve11: Well you’ll just have to find out if there even is a traitor!


	14. New Recruits

**10:00 AM Day Four**

**Second Platform**

**Marching Square**

The cadets woke up the next day to see that the square on the second platform was now covered in various tents. Masked men walked in and out of the vast complex of tents, clearly finishing the set up.

 ** _“Good morning everyone,”_** Quackers greeted them all cheerfully. **_“Is everyone ready to finally shoot some guns?”_**

Erick’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the vast array of set up tents. “What are you really playing at? I can’t help but feel this entire thing seems a little contrived.”

“Contrived!?” A Masked man suddenly said as he exited one of the tents. “You better cut that attitude or I’ll shove this bayonet right up your fucking backside!” He said, waving the blade in his hand.

Quackers grinned as the man walked by his side. ** _“Captain Arthur. I take it that the setup is finally complete?”_**

The Captain nodded. “Oh aye. It’s all set up and ready for these bastards, though I doubt you’ll get any joy from them. They look like they’d be more likely to shoot themselves than anything else.”

“Hey, don’t talk shit! I’m a better shot than I look, ya know?” Roman interrupted with a cocky grin.

Arthur shrugged. “Well good for fucking you then.” He said dismissively, before he began to walk off. “Just don’t fuck up the guns and I won’t have to shove them up yer arse. Have fun!”

The group watched the Captain walk off as Quackers shook his head with amusement.

 ** _“Always the colourful character, isn’t he?”_** He cleared his throat. **_“Anyway, moving on, for today’s practice you will each be organised into groups of fours. The 16 of you will be assigned into these groups and given a tent each. While you are in there I don’t want to see any slacking off! We will spend an hour practicing and then take a break for lunch. Any questions?”_**

The cadets looked at each other for a moment, before the Inquisitor raised his voice.

“Just one. If I remember correctly yesterday you mentioned something about one of us winning a gun? How will that work?” He asked.

 ** _“That’s simple. At the end of the hour the cadet who scored the highest accuracy in the firing range will be taken to the armoury. There they will be given a firearm of the good Captain’s choice._** ” He paused, looking at the pistol strapped to Pietro’s hip. “That should even things out a bit.

Quackers stretched his back, looking at the others with a glint in his eye. **_“Well, no time like the present, is there? Your field guides should now have updated with a list of who you will be shooting with and which tent you have been assigned to. Good luck everyone! Let’s see if you can finally show your worth.”_**

* * *

**10:05 AM Day Four**

**Second Platform**

**Firing Range**

Elizabeth handled the pistol in front of her carefully as she inspected it, while keeping an eye on the other four left on the table. 

"Well, I guess there's no point in delaying this. Ana, mind giving us a hand?" She said, looking at the Mercenary. 

"Yeah, sure." Anastasia replied. "First we should check if these are loaded or not. Normally you never leave loaded firearms, but I doubt Quackers cares much for our safety." 

The Monk nodded. "Indeed. We are lucky to have one such as you with us. My body is my weapon, firearms were seen as cowardly at my monastery."

"A-and I've never been good around weapons..." Nolan admitted shamefully, gingerly inspecting the small gun in his hand. "Perhaps taking some self-defence classes would have been wise on my part..."

"What? You didn't have guns up in Canada? I thought you lot were just Americans with better manners," Elizabeth replied, cheekily with a wink.

Nolan frowned, shaking his head as he gently gave a test aim of his firearm. 

"Not really. Canada has really strict firearm control compared to the United States. And actually, compared to many European countries, Americans are seen as more friendly and helpful, and furthermore..." The Ice Sculptor stopped rambling, glancing up as he noticed the odd looks he was getting. "Oh, you were just making a joke. Oops." He quietly mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

The Businesswoman looked at him oddly for a moment, before bursting out laughing. "Oh Nolan, you are such a dork! I love it." She said, giving him a pat on the back. 

Yijun grinned, before walking forward and picking up a pistol. "No wonder you get along so well with Kiyoshi. You two are made for each other." 

At the mention of the Voice Actor, Anastasia's face suddenly fell as she looked at the Ice Sculptor awkwardly. "Yeah... You really get along with him, don't you guys?" 

Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow. "Of course we do, I don't think we've had any issues with him, have we?" She said, looking at the other two.

At the mention of Kiyoshi, Nolan noticeably perked up, a small smile forming on his face. "Yeah, for sure! He's really nice, and we get along well. To be honest, I was kind of hoping we'd be in the same group for this. He makes me feel more relaxed." The blue eyed boy admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"He's a shy boy, but I can hardly blame him for that. And as Nolan said, he's been nice so far. What makes you ask?" The Monk said to the Mercenary. 

Anastasia clenched her jaw. "Look I don't want to worry everyone but when I talked to Kiyoshi after Quackers talked to us... well he got really emotional." 

"Well can you blame him? We were all given telegrams telling us things we can't even show each other. It must be a lot for someone like him to take in... I think." The Ultimate Gamer, Chiaki Nanami, suddenly interrupted. 

"I'm not surprised about that. Kiyoshi has been through a lot so can you blame him for getting upset?" Yijun added

“We all have...” Nolan sighed, absentmindedly fiddling with the brim of his cap. “Honestly, after this is over, I wanna go check up on him. Maybe I can help him feel better!” He declared.

"If you need me, I'll help out. We're friends after all." Elizabeth said, before turning to the gamer. "Come on, Chiaki, get your gun ready. Let's see if spending all day indoors playing Call of Duty actually paid off." 

Chiaki pouted, puffing her cheeks. "Not all first person shooters are Call of Duty, Liz. I play Arma, Battlefield and Doom, they're way better..." She said, picking up the gun and aiming at the target. 

Anastasia stood still, not knowing what to do, before the Ultimate Gamer spoke to her. 

"Please Ana, we need to get this done so Quackers is satisfied. Besides..." She looked to Nolan. "If I remember correctly we have a certain Battle Royal Player to beat at his own game." She said with a sly grin.

“Ha, indeed. I’m a sore loser.” The Ice Sculptor admitted, raising his gun as well. “I’ll be relying on you, Chiaki. Show me what you got!”

Anastasia blinked for a moment as she looked at their discussion, before sighing in defeat. "Alright. So the first thing you need to do is hold it straight forward and make sure you don't point it at anything you don't intend to destroy...

* * *

**10:15 AM Day Four**

**Second Platform**

**Firing Range**

“Oh my goodness!” Janna exclaimed as she looked at the rack of rifles positioned next to the firing range. “I’ve never even seen a gun before we came here. There's so many of them!”

Tyler’s eyes widened, as he jogged over and tried to get a better look. 

“Take a look at this shit! It’s like Fortnite but IRL!” He said gleefully as he tried to pick one up, the gun wobbling perilously in his small, skinny arms.

“T-Tyler, please be careful! It’s not a toy!” Kiyoshi exclaimed as he ran over to Tyler and helped to steady the gun in his grip.

"Oh come on, stop being a pussy! I know what I'm do-" _BANG!_

Suddenly the gun fired into the air, knocking Tyler and Kiyoshi to the ground and scaring the shit out of the girls.

"Oh God please don't kill me!" Janna screamed as she hid in a corner and hid her face. 

"Watch where you're pointing that thing!" Henriette added, sounding uncharacteristically fazed. 

Tyler panted, face white. "Holy shit..." Suddenly he noticed that Kiyoshi was positioned on top of him in a very compromising way. "What the fuck, get off me you homo!" He shouted as he struggled from underneath the Voice Actor.

Kiyoshi’s face turned red as he scrambled off of Tyler. “I’m so sorry!”

Henriette rolled her eyes as she walked over and snatched the gun from in between the two. 

"Be careful you two! Don't you know that you never handle a gun with your finger on the trigger!?" She said as she checked the ammo in the chamber and held it pointing towards the ground.

"I-is it over? Am I dead?" Janna asked as she peeked an eye from behind her fingers.

"S-sorry about that." Tyler said, even feeling himself a bit shaken. "Hey, how do you know so much about guns anyway?" 

The Flutist inspected the rack, finding some bullets stored in a pouch nearby. "My father loved to hunt pheasants on our manor's grounds, so I was taught basic firearms safety, though I'm no expert."

“Th-That’s good. I’m still so nervous about all this. But Anastasia did manage to show me a couple of things so, um... yeah.” Kiyoshi replied with a frown.

Henriette nodded, then looked to Janna. "Come on, get up dear. Let me show you how to get started." 

Janna rose to her feet, brushing herself off. "Thanks Henny... You're a lifesaver." 

As the two girls sorted themselves out, Kiyoshi suddenly felt a tug on his sleeve. 

"Hey, birdboy... Could you help me with my gun this time? I mean, I'm a fucking badass but these guns might be something I've never used before. That's all, better safe than sorry." Tyler said, trying to sound dismissive.

Kiyoshi nodded towards Tyler. “Of course I’ll try my best to help you! And... um, I’m so sorry for the way I shouted at you the other day.” He apologised, struggling to keep eye contact.

Tyler walked with him to the rack as they began to take out the guns properly and sighed glumly. "Nah... it's okay man. I was following that bullshit Lala told me so I guess I was the one being a dumbass."

Kiyoshi’s mouth fell open slightly. “Huh? N-No... it really wasn’t your fault. I was acting horribly. But I still really appreciate that. Thanks, Tyler,” he said as he gave him a warm smile.

Tyler looked at him for a brief moment, before his cocky persona returned in force. "Yeah, well what can I say. I'm a pro at making noobs rage. Just like how I'm gonna make you my bitch at target practice! I'm not a pro gamer for nothing!" He said, flashing a cocky grin and hopping onto the firing range.

Janna looked over at the two, smiled goofily. "Oh my god you two are like brothers. That is so cute!"

"Fuck off..." Tyler said offhand, before turning away from them.

Kiyoshi’s wings fluttered slightly as he turned to address both of the girls. “Tyler isn’t nearly as bad as he seems! I really was disgusting towards him the other day... He didn’t have to take any responsibility, but he did.”

Henriette smiled. "Well I'd like for him to learn some proper manners, but I suppose it's a start." 

"Yeah!" Janna added. "I just know that with some effort we can all get along. If I had the tools I could make some friendship bracelets for all of us!" She turned to Kiyoshi. "What kind of gems do you like? There are so many kinds. I could make something out of sapphires to match your wings!" She said, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Kiyoshi beamed at Janna. "Oh, I'd really love that! Thanks so much for being my friends, Jan." He looked gratefully to Henriette. "And you, Henny."

"And Gonta glad that you are his friends too." Their good friend Gonta Gokuhara added as he beamed from beside Tyler. "You see Tyler, if you become gentleman like Gonta then you will have lots of friends." 

"Shut up, Gonta. Don't make me squish your bugs." The boy replied. 

Gonta gasped. "You squish bugs!? What bugs ever do to you!?"

"Gonta's right. I'm sure some time with him will soon help that attitude." The Flutist said with a grin.

"Don't worry, Gonta, I always go out of my way to avoid stepping on bugs." Kiyoshi reassured him.

"That good to hear." The Ultimate Entomologist said. "And Gonta think friendship bracelets would be good idea. Kiyoshi looks good with new band on his wrist. It really suit him." He said, looking at the Voice Actor's left arm. 

"You already have a band? Oh that's okay, I can add some gems to that too!" Janna said innocently.

The colour instantly drained out of Kiyoshi's face as he glanced at his wrist. "T-The band? No no no, don't worry about that. This is just a temporary thing... I-I wanted to see how it would look with my outfit." He explained to the rest of them.

Gonta looked at him for a moment in silence, before a chuckle came from his lips. "Well if Kiyoshi ever wants a hand in developing his looks Gonta will gladly help! After all... Gonta gentleman."

* * *

**10:30 AM Day Four**

**Second Platform**

**Firing Range**

“A shotgun? Interesting choice for target practice.” Cecelia commented as she looked over the gun in her hands. She picked up one of the shells, giving it a brief shake. “I suppose our captor must be trying to give us a challenge.”

Dr Richards wiped his face as he examined the firing range. “Rudimentary targets, oversized calibre firearms and surrounded by non-intellectuals? Reminds me of security training, only with far less screaming.”

Joan looked at her fellow cadets arming themselves, and quickly crossed herself.

“I hate to pick up a weapon such as this. Christ did say he that who lives by the sword shall die by it.” She muttered.

“Yes, such is the Bible, full of contradictions. Why if you gave me some time I could point out all of the times that book changes its mind. So much for being a perfect God, he should invest in a new editor,” the Researcher said with a chuckle.

Joan looked back at him, unamused. “Do you have a problem with God, Doctor?”

Richards shook his head. “Problem? No. I’ve spoken to God, three of them in fact and honestly they mostly seem like decent people, if not smugly self-righteous.”

Joan looked at him, face frozen and yet tilted her head slightly in confusion.

“Enough bickering. I don’t know why the Sergeant is bothering to waste our time with this, so let’s just get this over with.” Erick snapped, grabbing one of the guns impatiently.

“Agreed. This isn’t the time for such pointless discussions.” The Naval Commander said, checking the shells in the gun, finding it fully loaded. “Come on, Joan. Despite any discomfort you may feel you need to get involved.”

Joan turned to Cecelia, paused, before slowly nodding her head and grabbing one of the shotguns.

Soon the cadets got themselves sorted along the firing range. Joan stood close to Cecelia on one end while Dr Richards and Erick tried to stand away from each other.

As the group began to shoot at the targets it quickly became apparent that the one with the best aim was Cecelia was the one with the aim amongst them, something that Joan began to watch in fascination.

“You know your way around a gun, Commander. Your country must train you well,” she commented.

Cecelia nodded, reloading a shell into the chamber. “The Novoselic Armed Forces are some of the finest in Europe, with a history spanning back nearly five centuries. When we have rebuilt our strength these despairs will never be able to step foot in our great kingdon again.”

The Nun nodded. “Yes, I can believe that. You are a very strong woman, just like many here. It’s inspiring.”

Cecelia smiled softly at the nun, before shaking her head and quickly refocusing on the shooting range. “Regardless, get back to it. We can’t have you slacking off.”

Joan nodded once more, and began to shoot at the targets. After a while it was over. Cecelia was the one with the highest score, but she was only just ahead of Erick, who had shown supreme confidence with his shotgun.

“I say, Erick. For an engineer you are quite the shot, better than many I’ve seen in the security teams.” Dr Richards, placing his gun down.

Erick rolled his eyes. “A gun’s a machine like any other, you just need to figure out how it works and you’ll soon be able to make it function. It’s perfectly simple reasoning.”

“Y-y-y-yeah! That’s right! Master is good with guns because master is amazing.” said Toko Fukawa, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy, as she nuzzled his side. “He smells so good, I need to write about this in my new novel!”

Erick scowled at her, before pushing her off forcefully and shoving her to the ground. “Don’t touch me you crazy woman.”

Toko looked up at the boy in shock, before her face suddenly turned red and she wrapped her arms around herself.

“Yes, Erick! Treat me like the dumb dog I am. I’m your bitch! Woof woof!” She moaned lustfully.

Cecelia stared at the woman in disbelief. “Good God woman! Get a hold of yourself!”

“I don’t know about that. I mean getting treated like dirt… certainly has its perks.” Joan replied, face also flushed.

“You too!?” The Naval Commander cried.

Dr Richards blinked a few times, then rubbed his eyes as he looked at the Writing Prodigy on the ground.

“Hang on... Toko… When did you get here?” He asked, as if trying to remember something.

“What are you talking about? This blithering idiot has been with us since we started this stupid exercise. Are you blind?” Erick asked, exasperated.

“Y-yeah! I would never leave my m-master’s side!” Toko added, trying to pick herself up from the ground.

“A-are you sure?” Dr Richards asked once more, rubbing his head.

“Doctor, I assure you she has,” The Naval Commander replied. “Are you feeling okay?”

“...Yeah. I… must be having a funny moment right now.” The Researcher said, with some uncertainty in his voice.

* * *

**10:45 AM Day Four**

**Second Platform**

**Firing Range**

Roman entered the tent with Tala, Pietro and Wolfgang and was the first to pick up one of the rifles from the stand. Picking it up, he looked it over, flashing a grin at the others. "The gun model's a bit old but that's never stopped me before. I'll show that cheeky git I know how to shoot! My aim's world-famous, I'll have you know." 

Tala rolled her eyes as she entered as well. "Interesting. Then it's a real shame no one's ever heard of you." She responded cheekily. 

Roman's eye twitched. "Oh ha ha, ya saucy sod..."

Pietro ignored them both, instead walking over to pick up a rifle of his own. He hefted it, eyeing it briefly before giving a small nod. "I suppose this shall suffice. I've made do with lesser tools before and still prevailed."

"Indeed," Wolfgang added. "This is no time for stupidity. We need to focus. Otherwise, who knows who will end up armed." 

Roman laughed. "Well, don't you worry, princess! Cause I'm gonna kick this challenge right in the knackers. I bet I can even outshoot Father Ted over here." He said, motioning to the Inquisitor.

Pietro raised an eyebrow, before scoffing slightly. “I sincerely doubt that, but you are welcome to try.”

Tala grinned wolfishly. "I think this is a doomed expedition, Roman. Why don't you drop this before you embarrass yourself?" 

"Fuck that! You're on, mate!" Roman said, as he aimed down the rifle and began to shoot at the targets that began to appear in the range. 

"Verdammter dummkopf..." Wolfgang muttered as he picked up his own gun. 

The group began to shoot their rifles ahead of them. While Roman and Tala put up a good effort, they were massively behind the Cardinal, who made the exercise look effortless. The one at the back however was Wolfgang, who, to the current point, hadn't hit a single target. 

"Fucking piece of shit!" He growled, missing his last target. He glanced at the Inquisitor, who had a laser-like focus on his targets. "What do you think's really going on? These despairs never just organise a nice day out. You've been in another game, there's always some kind of catch. Knowing them, I half expect one of the targets to blow up the rig when we hit it." He asked him, trying not to let the other two hear.

Pietro glanced back briefly at Wolfgang, before turning his attention back to the targets. After a moment, he shrugged and said, “It is pointless to try to understand the mind of madness. There could be any number of ulterior motives at play here. “

The Saxophonist grit his teeth. "I... suppose."

After a while had passed, the target practice was over. In the end, Pietro had come out on top with a 100% accuracy rate, followed by Tala, Roman and then last with nothing, Wolfgang. 

"What the fuck! I lost to fucking Pocahontas?!" Roman exclaimed in disbelief. 

Tala smugly crossed her arms. "Seems that 'world-famous aim' was famous... for all the wrong reasons!" 

"Shut up!" He responded. 

"Isn't this wonderful? How we are bonding like true friends against a common threat? Oh, the hope I can feel is so wonderful!" Said the Ultimate Lucky Student, Nagito Komaeda as he placed his rifle down. "And don't worry, Wolfgang, you're not the only one here with a score of zero. It seems my talent was pretty useless after all. Makes sense for worthless trash like me." 

"Don't compare yourself to me, Nagito! I can't believe I had to shoot next to a scruffy waste of space like you, anyway." Wolfgang replied.

Pietro rolled his eyes at Roman and Wolfgang, before slowly lowering his rifle. "You should show more respect for Tala, Roman. She bested you, and you should accept that. Being a sore loser is rather unbecoming for you. Not to mention that pride can be a rather destructive sin. Regardless...I do think we're done here for now."

"Exactly! Roman, I think you need to learn something from Pietro. His hope truly shines bright! Fuelled by his undying faith it will be a true stepping stone in allowing us to conquer this despair!" Nagito muttered as he began to hug himself tightly...

* * *

**11:00 AM Day Four**

**Second Platform**

**Marching Square**

As the cadets made their way out of the tents and back onto the Marching Square, it became apparent that Quackers and his followers had been waiting for them with bated breath. An entire line of the masked men stood to attention, with Quackers just in front of them.

 ** _“Welcome back, everyone. Did you all have fun?”_** He asked, attempting to sound innocent.

“Err… well, I don’t really like guns but it wasn't too bad. We got to spend some time together at least.” Nolan said meekly.

“Gonta not like violence but Gonta happy he get to spend more time with friends,” the Entomologist added.

“Yes, yes, clearly everyone had a merry fucking time with it, now let’s get to the point. You’re planning on giving out that weapon to the one with the highest score, aren’t you?” Erick interrupted.

Quackers grinned. **_“Straight to the point then? Well, you're half right. The gun will be given to the cadet with the highest accuracy who is currently unarmed. After all, we can’t have Private Lombardi and Private Perry hogging all the fun, now can we?”_**

He turned to his right. **_“Umiko, the results please.”_**

At that command, the cadets saw the monstrous girl riding on the shoulders of Bearington. Thunderous steps echoed out from the mechanical giant while Umiko looked at the cadets, a large toothy grin plastered across her face. On the bear’s back, there was a large sack. Once they had arrived near the center, Umiko grabbed the sack and jumped off with it, landing next to the Sergeant with the gracefulness of a cat.

She reached into the sack and brought out a piece of paper, reading it quickly.

Before speaking, the girl glared at the cadets, almost like a predator silently stalking its prey, her dual toned eyes, one green, one red, shifted one by one on each before finally settling on one. 

"Pathetic." She said mockingly. "Out of all of you, the bird boy was the one to outskill you all. You should all be ashamed."

Kiyoshi's eyes widened in shock. "What? M-me!?" 

"Well, we're all dead." Erick muttered sarcastically. 

"Hey, don't say that!" Nolan cried, before turning to Kiyoshi. "I'm sure he'll do a great job with it!" 

The Voice Actor fiddled with his hands. "I-I don't know, guys, I really don't want to have a gun!" 

**_"Well, tough luck! Because you’re getting one!"_** Quackers interrupted. “ ** _After we are finished here, you will speak to Captain Arthur about it. However, before that, I also have one more prize to announce."_**

Elizabeth scowled. "What do you mean by that?" 

The Sergeant flashed a wicked grin. **_"Well, I thought I'd be pretty heartless if I didn't give out at least one... participation prize. One that will be going to the cadet who scored the lowest on the range, just to make sure he feels a little better about being a total fucking loser."_** He said, looking at Wolfgang. 

The boy frowned as he looked back, tensing his fists but clearly worried. 

Quackers looked at Umiko. **_"Corporal Ueda. Please fetch Private Schwarz's 'prize'."_**

Umiko laughed callously. "Honestly, I don't know why Quackers insists on giving this one a gift. Weakness isn't something to be rewarded, but something to be wiped out like the filth it is. But alas." She reached into the sack again, pulling out a saxophone.

Janna smiled widely. “Look Wolfy, it’s your Saxophone! You finally have it back!” She cheered happily.

Wolfgang grit his teeth, briefly looking at Janna, before gazing back at Umiko’s malicious grin.

“What are you doing with that? Give it back!” He ordered.

"Your 'reward'..." She paused, admiring the brass sheen, and then returned her gaze to the cadets, pausing once again on Kiyoshi. Something about her gaze, for a split second, seemed to waver, before as quick as it appeared, it vanished, cold fury returning. "Your 'reward'..." She repeated, "exactly as you deserve it, Wolfgang!"

Wolfgang's eyes widened in horror as he raised his hands up. "Nein! Halt, bitte!"

In a blinding flash of movement, the instrument left her hands, as she tossed it high into the air, before it began to careen back down to the platform. Wolfgang cried in horror as the instrument tossed and tumbled in the air, a puppet of the wind. Then just before it could hit the ground, Nagito, in his confusion, tripped over his shoes and fell to the ground. Trying to get up quickly, he turned around and, just in the nick of time, caught the instrument safely.

There was a moment of silence, as the cadets looked at him in disbelief. The boy got up and chuckled sheepishly.

"Well, looks like my luck really was looking out for me. I guess missing those targets was just my bad luck before this good luck?" He said.

Umiko's eyes narrowed in disgust, looking at Nagito from top to bottom. Wordlessly, she turned away from the cadets, her black coat billowing in the wind, and began walking away. 

"Luck." She scoffed, stopping her stride. "That's the reason you all still draw breath, But take it from me..." She half turned, allowing the cadets one last view of her scarred face. "...don't count on luck to save you when it matters." With that, she crouched, and launched into the air, jumping with unimaginable speed and grace, and disappearing into the line of soldiers.

Wolfgang panted heavily, trying to calm himself down. Suddenly he grit his teeth and snatched the Saxophone out of the Lucky Student's hands. "Get your filthy hands off of that!" Hesnapped. 

"Of course, Wolfgang. Sorry I got your instrument dirty. I really am good for nothing, aren't I?" The Lucky Student responded with a smile.

Chiaki frowned. “There’s no need to treat Nagito like that, Wolfgang. He saved your Saxophone, you could at least say thank you.”

Wolfgang scoffed.

 ** _“Well, whatever the case, that’s the end of target practice for today. Let’s hope the 20 of you learned something from this today. It could save your life.”_** Quackers said, looking at the lot of them. There was a brief awkward moment before he continued. **_“Well, what are you waiting for? You are at ease. Go get something to eat.”_**

“Well, I guess that’s our cue to piss off.” Roman said, bemused.

Pietro closed his eyes. “Very well. I suppose I should get lunch prepared. Nolan, Gonta, I will require both your assistance.” He said, looking at the two.

“Of course! Gonta learn to cook like true gentleman.” Gonta said.

“I’m sure you will, Gonta!” Nolan added cheerily.

“Whatever. I’m going to clean my Saxophone, who knows what filth these despairs are carrying?” Wolfgang spat, beginning to walk away. “Janna! Make yourself useful and bring me some coffee. I’ll be waiting in my room.”

“Alright… Wolfy…” Janna said, trying to keep a smile spread on her lips.

As the group began to make their way off the platform, Henriette placed a hand on Janna’s shoulder.

“Janna, dear, you don’t have to take orders from him like that. You’re not a slave.” She said.

Janna waved a hand. “Oh, it’s nothing, Henny. I’m just helping a friend out. He’s royalty, so he’s probably used to getting things done for him. I’m just helping him adjust!”

“Y-y-yeah, right!” Toko interrupted, pointing at her. “Y-you’re just a doormat! E-either that or you get all wet from it, you pervert!”

Janna visibly tensed, clenching her hands into fists.

“Don’t speak to her like that!” Henriette shouted.

“D-defend that flat chested idiot if you like! I mean, it’s not the worst position to be in. Wolfgang is a fucken hottie, but not as beautiful as my beloved master…” Toko said, face growing red and mind wandering into fantasy.

Yijun stared at the girl bug eyed, before shaking his head. “And I thought I was the strange-looking one…”

_A few moments later…_

After the cadets had left the platform, Quackers looked around him. He noticed Bearington was staring at the group and frowned. **_"Well, what are you waiting for? Get back to work!"_**

The bear slowly looked at him almost mournfully, before it turned around and began its patrol again. 

At that moment, Umiko leaped from the crowd and landed by the Sergeant's side. **_"Good work, Corporal. It looks like the new recruits fit in quite well with the others."_**

A smile found its way onto Umiko's face as she glanced at Quackers, the same unflinching gaze she gave Kiyoshi directed at him. "It seems so." She said, her voice low. "They seem to have accepted them as just another part of their little group."

 ** _"Yes."_** He replied, pulling the bill of his hat down. **_"Now the game of spies is truly afoot."_**

* * *

Author’s note: Special thanks to Parafin, Magus1108, JCW18 and Birb for RPing in this chapter. Also a big thank you to my beta readers Parafin, Birb and Storyproducer214

* * *

Bellatrixshine: I’m sure he’s perfectly fine. He just really loves Nolan…

Doomqwer: Of course. I even had him reference his training.

Trygve11: Pietro really can’t catch a break with you can he?


	15. Infiltration Part 1

**Chapter 14: Infiltration Part 1**

**12:00 PM Day Four**

**Platform One**

**Barracks**

"Here's your coffee, Wolfgang!" Janna said in a cheerful tone. She placed the coffee on the table. "How's your Saxophone?" 

Wolfgang looked up at the girl from his task. He was currently having a look at his instrument and making sure that nothing was broken. "My Saxophone’s a fucking mess, that's what! These despairs don't know how to handle such a majestic instrument. It's filthy and I don't have any polish." 

Janna thought for a moment, and then a lightbulb went off in her head. "I could have a look in the warehouse for you! Maybe they have some polish." 

Wolfgang nodded with some annoyance. "Yes, yes, fine! Just be quick about it!" 

The girl flinched at his tone. "Yes, Wolfgang... I'll be quick." She made her way out of the room, seeing Henriette waiting in the hallway. "I'll be back in a sec, Henny. Just need to look for some polish." 

As the Flutist looked into her eyes, while the girl was trying to stay peppy, it was clear she was exhausted, probably in more ways than one.

"Janna, dear, you are aware you don't have to do what Wolfgang tells you to, right?" The Flutist glanced at the door of Wolfgang's room. "Just because he's a noble doesn't mean he should treat you like a servant."

"No... no, I have to do the right thing. I-I have to help people, make him shine bright like the most beautiful diamond. I can't go upsetting him, can I?" Janna was silent for a moment. "Excuse me!" She said with a distressed tone as she barged right past Henriette and headed outside.

Henriette watched the girl run off, tempted to rush after her. However, there were more pressing matters in front of her. Henriette turned her attention to Wolfgang, who was still fussing over his saxophone. "Wolfgang, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Wolfgang jumped, knocked out of his focused trance. "What do you wa... Oh, Henriette, what are you doing here?" He asked.

The Flutist fought back a sigh. "May I come in? I think we need to have a little talk about Janna."

Wolfgang grunted in frustration. "Alright, fine. Take a seat." He said, motioning to the bed. "This is the only chair I have, so you'll have to sit there. This day has been a fucking nightmare!"

Henriette stepped into the room and made her way over to the bed, taking a seat. "Normally, I would say that a gentleman ought to give his seat up for a lady, but that is neither here nor there." Once she had settled in, she let out a sigh. "I am going to be blunt with you, Wolfgang. I don't like how you are treating Janna."

Wolfgang looked at her intently for a moment. Then his face softened and he placed down the saxophone on the table. "Is that what this is all about? I'm not forcing Janna to do anything, she's just giving me a hand. Besides, you should know more than anyone here that we of noble blood must be guides to our lessers, especially in these circumstances."

"While I do understand that to an extent, it feels like you are taking advantage of her kindness," Henriette responded. She then paused, her brow furrowing as she fell into thought. After a moment, she turned her focus back to Wolfgang. "If it is not too much to ask, what is your noble heritage?"

Wolfgang smiled like the cat that had eaten the canary, as he cleared his throat. "Why, certainly. I, Wolfgang Amadeus Von Schwarz, am a proud descendant of the House of Schwarz. We were dukes and counts of Prussia tracing back all the way to the Teutonic Order, at least until the allies decided to foolishly remove the Kaiser, and look how well that turned out for Europe." He said with a chuckle.

Henriette stared at her fellow musician, searching him over. "A follow-up question...How did you become a musician? Did you use your influence in any way to get where you are, or did you work hard for your title?"

Wolfgang glared at her for that question. "I'll have you know that I worked for everything I've earned with my talent. I've been practicing since I was eight and had my first recital at ten, and three years ago I swept the competition of all other musicians and finally earned my place at Skyline Academy." He looked her up and down. "I could ask the same thing of you. Doesn't Versailles Academy have a reputation as a school for the elites of society? Who's to say your status didn't earn you a place?"

Henriette glared back at the Saxophonist. "How dare you?!" She stood up, glaring Wolfgang down from where she stood. "When I first picked up the flute, I couldn't even play a note. I practiced and practiced until I could play well. When I went to audition for my orchestra at ten, I saw people who were only there because they had money." 

Angry tears pricked the Flutist's eyes as she continued. "I had so many sleepless nights, and I once went a whole week without eating so that I could get that first chair and my title! I did it all because I wanted to prove to everyone that I was capable of doing something good without money or my family's power! That I would be the end to my family's curse!" The Flutist's eyes widened as she took in a shaky breath, realizing what she had just said aloud. Tears streamed down her face as the shock hit her.

Wolfgang raised an eyebrow, curiosity peaked as he motioned for her to sit back down again. "Family curse? What's your noble bloodline then? Some ancient Egyptian pharaoh in your family anger the gods?"

Henriette drew in another breath, forcing her to regain her composure. She sat back down, mulling over what to say. "Back during the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette managed to get one of her daughters out of France and to Austria. Four generations later, her great, great, great, great granddaughter Sophie was shot alongside Franz Ferdinand. Marie Antoinette and Sophie Ferdinand's deaths caused many more deaths to happen after and there were only four generations between them...I am the fourth generation since Sophie Ferdinand." 

Henriette wiped at her eyes. "Since I was a child, I have been told the morals of Marie Antoinette and Franz and Sophie Ferdinand's stories on repeat. Don't be frivolous. Don't take advantage of others. Don't do this. Don't do that. Your death could mean several hundred, if not thousands of deaths, if you turn out like Marie Antoinette or Sophie Ferdinand."

Wolfgang's eyes beamed as he listened to her story. "Mein Gott, you really are of high blood. If what you're saying is true, then you're a Legitimist claimant to the French Throne. If the world truly needed you, you could become the Queen of France!"

Henriette shook her head. "No, I could not. With everything going on, and the family curse, if I did, thousands...maybe millions, would die...." She shook her head, eyes filled with terror. "No... No... Not again!" Before Wolfgang could even respond, Henriette sprung off the bed and sprinted out of the room, tears streaming down her face.

Wolfgang sat alone in the room, a grin slowly widening on his face. "That power, that prestige... I must have it." He muttered to himself, before getting back to work on his Saxophone, far happier than before.

* * *

**12:30 PM Day Four**

**Second Platform**

**Library**

“So, remind me why we’re here? I never took you as the ‘working with others’ type,” Elizabeth asked as she entered the Library with Erick, Dr Richards, Toko and Roman. 

Erick scoffed, trying to ignore the Writer currently clinging onto his arm and drooling. “I’m not above working with others, I just prefer not to. As for why you are here, I intend to give this Library a proper search. Knowing how Ultimate Despair runs these killing games, it's not out of the question they’d leave behind some clues for us, so I felt some extra hands would be appropriate. Even if I had to settle for you three.”

“Don’t forget me, Master!” Toko said, nuzzling her face against his arm.

“How could I _possibly_ forget about you,” Erick responded through gritted teeth.

“But it doesn’t seem like you had to pick us, you had a far larger choice than that. I mean, I can understand why you’d pick Toko and myself, but I can’t see how someone like Roman would help in a book search. He certainly isn’t the most patient man.” Dr Richards said.

“Well, fuck you too, mate!” Roman said. “I’m right here, ya know? Don’t talk about me like I’m not.”

“I asked Roman because he’s supposedly a treasure hunter.” He turned to Roman. “And if I recall correctly, don’t your type search for ancient texts?”

Roman’s annoyed look quickly gave way to a cocky grin. “You sure as shit are right! I’ve found scrolls, books and tomes. Why, the last book I found was made of solid gold and buried up on the freezed mountains of the Himalayas! Turns out it was a guide on how to fuck your wife right. A proto Kama Sutra, if ya will.”

“... In any case, I thought your expertise could be useful in searching this library.” Erick responded, after an awkward pause.

“K-kama Sutra?” Toko asked. She looked at the man in her arms, blushing. “You know E-Erick, maybe they have a copy of that book here. I could perform some… demonstrations for you!”

Erick’s eyes narrowed. “Get the fuck off me!” He growled, finally throwing her off with a mighty shove. She tumbled to the ground, giggling.

“Playing hard to get, Master? I love it!” She cried.

“Your mental state is certainly one of interest,” Dr Richards said, staring at the girl, his otherwise unflappable demeanour momentarily failing. “But moving on from that, I believe we should get started, should we not?”

“Indeed. Hopefully even _she_ can at least be of some use.” Erick said, glancing momentarily at Toko.

As Toko got off the ground, the cadets began to spread out and look throughout the library. Roman searched mostly on the higher shelves, whereas Richards took an interest in the books scattered around the floor.

Erick decided to look at some of the books on the lower shelves. Searching through them, he didn’t seem to have much luck, causing clear frustration.

“Hey, Erick. Need a hand?” Elizabeth asked with a smile, sliding in beside him.

Erick was silent for a moment. “Aren’t there other parts of the library you could be searching right now?”

The girl pouted, raising an eyebrow. “There’s no need for the hostile attitude. I’m only trying to help, as you're clearly getting yourself into a state.”

Erick merely rolled his eyes, before continuing his search. “Fine. Do as you wish.”

Elizabeth sighed, but began to look through the shelf with him. “Come on, lighten up, dude. I know we didn’t start on the best of terms, but let’s at least pretend to be pleasant with each other. At the very least I’m giving you a break from dealing with Toko.” She said with a chuckle.

“I can’t fault you on that logic,” he said, voice softening. “I have no fucking clue how I even ended up lumped with her anyway.”

Elizabeth suddenly paused and looked at him intently. “What do you mean by that?”

“What I mean is, of all the men here, why did she decide that I was her ‘Prince Charming’? It’s so insufferable.” He replied.

Elizabeth grinned. “Oh yeah, I see what you mean. Sadly, even I don’t understand what’s going on in that strange head of hers. Best guess is that she’s rotted her brain reading too much erotica.”

Erick betrayed a slight smirk. “Oh, I can definitely believe that.” Placing a few books down on the table next to him, he looked at her, curiosity in his eyes. “Well, since you're here, I might as well ask something that’s been on my mind. You must be the Ultimate Businesswoman for a reason. I’ve heard of a Grey Co before, do you have anything to do with that?”

The girl raised the rim of her hat, placing a hand on her hip. “I see you’ve heard of me. Yes, I am the CEO and President of Grey Co. We specialise mostly in real estate development and construction, but since then we’ve expanded into other sectors. Can’t hurt to have a finger in each pie, after all.”

“So, you’re supposed to be the British Trump or something? You planning on entering politics after this?” Erick asked sarcastically.

The Businesswoman laughed heartily. “Oh, _please_. First, I like to think I rock much better hair than he does.” She said, running a hand through her long, luscious locks. “And secondly, other than covering similar sectors, we’re nothing alike. Success in business means finding your own way and not just following in another’s footsteps. Also, you couldn’t _pay_ me to enter Westminster.”

“Fair enough. You’re a wiser girl than most, then.” Erick replied. 

Elizabeth shrugged. “Well, when you're as rich as I am, why enter politics when you can just lobby until you get what you want?” She winked. “But in all seriousness, it's a hard job but it's so rewarding. I’m sure Mum and Dad would be so proud of how I’m handling it.”

Erick looked at her curiously. “Where are your parents now, then?”

The Girl’s grin immediately faded. “They… they passed away three years ago. They were being driven home from a board meeting when their car crashed on the motorway. I ended up taking control of the business just a few days before my 15th birthday.” She sighed. “Talk about a shitty birthday present, but I refused to let the business my family had built die. I took control and made sure we remained a success, it's the reason I was picked for Hope’s Peak. So… I just hope I can build on what they left me.”

Erick looked at her for a moment, before nodding. “You have my condolences.”

Elizabeth smirked, patting him on the back. “Cheer up, Erick. My folks wouldn’t want me to let their death keep me down and it shouldn’t for you, either. Besides, I still have to hear your story.”

Erick’s eye twitched. “How many times do I have to tell you people to not touch-”

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” Suddenly, he was interrupted by a piercing scream that echoed through the library.

“What the fuck’s going on!?” Roman shouted, almost tripping over himself.

“Is everyone alright!?” Elizabeth asked hurriedly, Erick turning with her.

She looked from side to side in a panic, looking to find the source of the noise when she suddenly noticed Toko holding what looked like a manga in her hands, looking at it in what could only be described as pure horror.

“T-T-This manga… is the biggest piece of shit I have ever seen!” She cried, sneering at it in disgust.

“TOKO!” Erick shouted, holding a hand on his chest. “What the fuck is wrong with you!? You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

Toko immediately blushed bashfully. “I-I’m sorry, Master. But you just have to see this abomination to understand! I mean, look at this!” She closed the manga, holding the front cover up in his direction. “Look at this name! ‘I was just a normal high school boy but then the yakuza kidnapped me and now the boss's seven daughters want to marry me.’ That’s not a title, that’s a fucking sentence!”

Elizabeth visibly cringed. “Jesus, that sounds _awful_. Like one of those terrible harem stories I’ve heard of when the whole plot is nothing but a bunch of girls with big tits all trying to fuck the main character.”

“Y-yeah, it is!” Toko continued, looking through the book. “They have a moe doormat, a loli for pervs and even some cookie cutter tsundere that does nothing but…” She stopped herself, throwing the book over her shoulder. “B-but never mind that, I also wanted to say that I found something!”

“Something actually useful?” Roman asked. “Or is it just more anime shit?”

“No! It’s not more of that otaku trash! It’s this magazine I found open on one of the shelves.” She said, pointing to the book on the table next to her. “I-I don’t know what it is, but it looked creepy.”

Erick stepped forward, glancing at Toko, before he leaned over and began to skim the pages.

“Let’s have a look… Hmm? That’s peculiar.” He muttered.

“What’s up?” Elizabeth asked, walking up beside him.

“Seems this is some kind of article about a new serial killer. Some chap known as the ‘Skin Taker’.” Erick replied.

“Woah, hang on a tic! Serial killer!?” Roman said with alarm. 

“I take it you all found something?” Dr Richards said, walking back to the group, some scrolls held under his arm.

Erick looked up at the Doctor. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever heard of this so-called Skin Taker, have you? Their MO sounds like something a man of your field would encounter.”

“Skin Taker?” Richards stroked his chin. “I’ve dealt with many Keter class anomalies that could be viewed as serial killers of sorts, could you be more specific?”

Erick began to read further. “Seems this killer views themselves as an artist. It says here that the bodies of their victims are typically found reassembled into spectacles of macabre art and furniture, including one pair of gentlemen who had their bones reassembled into a chair and coffee table and then re-covered with their own sewn together skin.”

Elizabeth placed a hand to her mouth. “Holy shit…”

Dr Richards thought for a moment. “I never encountered that case myself. It could have just been a mundane yet twisted culprit who’s responsible. That would be outside of my purview.” He looked at the book. “What’s the name of that magazine anyway?”

Erick picked it up, closing it and reading the front cover. “Occult Magazine. 20th Anniversary Serial Killer Edition.” He frowned. “And it’s dated only a month ago.”

“HA!” Toko said abruptly. “T-that’s that garbage that Sonia always reads! Like that one time she became obsessed with Sparkling Justice and wouldn’t stop quoting his catchphrases! W-why should I care? Serial killers are of no interest to me!”

Roman folded his arms. “Sounds kind of tabloidy to me. Are you sure that ain’t a load of shit? And even if it isn’t, does it really have anything to do with us? It could just be some bollocks left around to scare people.” 

Elizabeth nodded. “While we should keep a note of it, let’s just hope it’s nothing. I mean, this library looks like it had a lot of things, they can’t all relate to us.”

“I suppose. But then why was it left open?” Erick shook his head. “Never mind for now. Richards, did you find something?”

The Doctor nodded. “Yes, I did. While it's not a book, I found these strange maps. They seem to lead to some kind of treasure, but the location is unusual.”

“Treasure map!?” Roman said, “Give us a butcher's!”

Richards placed the scroll on the table. “Of course, maybe you’ll recognize what it’s leading to.”

Roman opened the scroll, excitement filling his eyes. However, this excitement very quickly died as he realised what he was looking at. Marked with the paint Quackers said marks property, it showed a large X on a map of Scotland. A cartoon picture of the duck was drawn on the map, pointing to the location with a speech bubble that said ‘for your compensation’.

“Is something wrong?” Erick asked, seeing the Treasure Hunter go pale.

“Give me that!” Roman shouted, grabbing the map and rolling it up. “Who the fuck does that duck think he is!?”

Before the others could say anything, Roman stormed out of the room in a hurry.

There was a moment of silence.

“What’s his problem?” Toko asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine. But I guess Quackers showed something Roman would rather keep hidden.” Elizabeth said.

* * *

**1:00 PM Day Four**

**Second Platform**

**Armoury**

“Well, well, well, look who came crawling back? Looks like all that talk of ‘not wanting weapons from my armoury’ was a load of old horseshit.” Captain Arthur said smugly to Kiyoshi. The Voice actor was flanked by Yujin, Tala and Chiaki, who had all come for support.

Kiyoshi trembled slightly as he shook his head. "I-I don't want a weapon... I don't know how this happened..."

"It happened because apart from the priest and the bulldyke you scored the highest, that's how!" He responded, before looking up at the others. "You lot better watch out for this one, we might have ourselves a budding Lee Harvey Oswald on our hands." 

"Shut your fucking mouth." Tala said, defiantly. "He didn't want this, you’re forcing him to take the damn gun!" 

Yujin closed his eyes, thinking carefully. "Don't worry, I'm sure we can sort this situation. If he doesn't want the weapon, we can simply dump it into the ocean as soon as we get back on deck. That way no one will get hurt." 

Chiaki gasped. "Oh, like in Fallout 3 to avoid being over encumbered! That's a great idea!" 

Arthur laughed mockingly. "Oh no, we ain't letting that shit happen again! Every gun I hand out is marked in accordance to law three! Not only that, this equipment is property of the base. If any of you even so much as get a _scratch_ on one of these things that wasn't in the line of duty, you'll be on the receiving end of them. By firing squad!"

Kiyoshi gasped, teary-eyed as he slowly turned toward the rest of them. "Guys, this isn't, I-I, what I mean is... please help me stay safe. I don't know how to take care of a gun..." He requested as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"Oh, stop being such a fucking cry baby! Is _this_ what Japan has been reduced to? I thought you lot were all about the Samurai code or some shit?" Arthur shook his head. "Well, whatever, I've got a special gun for you, bird boy. Let me just talk to my mate." 

Arthur turned around and began to walk to a back room door. "Hey, Shane! Get your lazy arse in gear and help me find this shit!" 

"Shane?" Tala wondered. She placed her head in her hands. "Oh God, there's more of these pricks?" 

Chiaki put on a face of determination. "Don't worry, Kiyoshi. I'm sure one of us will teach you how to handle that safely. Maybe Ana? I mean, I would but my gun knowledge only comes from games so..."

Despite everything, Kiyoshi managed a small smile at Chiaki. "You know, they hired me to voice a supporting character in Doom Eternal just before all this happened."

Chiaki's mouth opened, hands raised in excitement. "You were in Doom Eternal!? That's amazing! I loved the crossover memes with Animal Crossing. I showed so many to Hajime that he told me that he never wanted to see Isabelle or Doom Guy ever again! It's a shame, but what can you do with casuals?"

Kiyoshi giggled. "Yeah! I loved the memes too! But honestly, gameplay-wise, I enjoy Animal Crossing more. It's just so sweet and relaxing."

Chiaki smiled. "Yeah... except when you have to deal with Tom Nook acting like a mob boss. One time I compared him to Fuyuhiko, but Peko didn't seem to like the idea of me drawing fanart."

"Heehee, from what you mentioned about Fuyuhiko, that's a good comparison." He turned to Tala and Yujin. "Hey, Big Sis, Yuj! Do you like video games?"

Yujin looked like he'd been snapped out of a trance as Kiyoshi addressed him. "Oh, I'm ever so sorry, but you two might as well be speaking another language to me." He said with a chuckle. "They didn't have computer games back at the monastery, they told us it would rot the mind."

Tala laughed heartily. "Sorry Kiyoshi, but I'm more of an outdoors kind of girl. Back at the reservation I used to take my motorcycle out and ride the plains until sunset, though I did have a go at Saints Row with a friend of mine. Never thought beating up an old lady with a dildo bat could be so satisfying!" 

"You lot, shut the fuck up!" Arthur shouted as he headed back in. "Right, Shane knows more about this weapon than I do, so pay attention!" 

From his side, another masked man walked up to the counter, with a large sniper rifle in his hands. While he looked almost the same as Arthur, his uniform was clearly more dishevelled, as if he had just gotten out of bed. 

"Alright Boyo, listen up! Right here I got a Mosin–Nagant, with a detachable sniper scope. Now, as far as I can tell, it hasn't been used in donkey's years, so you might want to give it a gander before you take it with you." He said, cheerfully.

"Oh, great, you had to pick a huge one..." Kiyoshi mumbled, his face pale. He looked away from the gun, glancing at Shane. "Umm, you're kind of confusing me. Are you, like, Irish or something?"

Kiyoshi could almost _feel_ the look of outrage on the man's face as his eyes bugged out behind his mask. 

"IRISH!? I'm British, you cheeky cunt! I don't care what those republican bastards say, but Ulster will never follow the tricolour!" Shane shouted, storming away from them to calm himself. 

Arthur whistled. "Oh, you shouldn't have said that. Didn't you hear? The IRA took over Northern Ireland during the tragedy, so it's a sore spot for him." 

Chiaki stared at him blankly, before glancing at Kiyoshi. "Britain sounds like a crazy place, doesn't it?"

Kiyoshi looked stunned. “Yeah, it totally does... I knew they liked tea the same as I do, but I didn’t realise the British were this _weird._ ”

"It seems we have a lot to learn about their customs," Yujin remarked. 

Shane took a few breaths, composing himself, before walking back and slamming the rifle down onto the counter. 

"Just take the damn gun, alright? Here's a box of ammo too," he said, placing the box in question next to it. He then pressed a button and a hatch opened in the screen and allowed the weapon through so it was sitting on their side of the glass, before it closed back shut. "If you have any issues with it, come back and we'll have a look. I guess I can only hope you end up shooting those catholic bastards among you, do that and I might actually find it in my heart to forgive what you just said." 

Tala scowled, growling as she looked at the weapon. "Be careful, Kiyoshi. When you pick it up,don't put your finger on the trigger. Knowing these two, they’ve probably loaded it already."

The Voice Actor’s hands were shaking as he picked up the gun. “R-Right... Avoiding the trigger..”

Kiyoshi held the gun shakily as he tried to adjust to its weight in his grip. It didn't look like it suited him, however he wasn't endangering anyone. 

Yujin placed a hand on the Voice Actor's shoulder. "You seem very nervous. You've now been burdened with a great responsibility, so I feel this is the best time to offer. After dinner, I'd like you to come with me and I'll show you some of my methods to centre yourself. I'd also like to help you learn to control your wings, perhaps even fly with them, if such a thing is possible for you."

Kiyoshi briefly glanced at Yujin, “Sorry, can’t focus on you right now Yuj, still trying to steady myself... But yeah, I’d really appreciate that!”

"I think it's a great idea! You've got a big sis, maybe you'll get a big bro too!" Tala commented. 

"That's so sweet," the Ultimate Gamer said. "Listen, I know we should get going but Kiyoshi should probably check his gun and make sure he's comfortable with it before he comes back to the others. You two go on ahead, I'll stay down here with him and make sure everything is sorted.”

Yujin nodded. "Very well, Chiaki. You’ve done so much for us already, it is good to know we can rely on you." 

"Of course we can! You're a good friend and we're lucky to have ya!" Tala cheered. 

They entered the lift and pressed the button, before the doors shut and they headed up.

Kiyoshi had finally managed to steady himself a bit. “Oh, Chiaki, I’m so worried. I couldn’t bear endangering any of my friends with this thing. You and those two, and Nolan, and Liz...” He groaned.

Chiaki stood silent, a dark shadow falling on her eyes. "Yes... Nolan and Liz..." 

She looked up. "Right, let's take a look at this thing." A few moments passed. Chiaki adjusted Kiyoshi's grip and held his arms a few times, slowly letting his body stop shaking. 

"There we go, you should be alright now." She said reassuringly, earning a nod from the Voice actor. Then a grin formed on her face. "You know, this reminds me of Nolan and Liz back at the shooting range. Watching those two was so sweet. The sideways glances, the half smiles that devolved into giggling, the subtle caress of the arm as Liz made sure Nolan was alright and the way he melted into a warm hug with her afterwards... If this was a dating game, I'd say they're hitting all the event flags."

Suddenly, Kiyoshi started stumbling, and the gun dropped to the floor. After regaining his balance, his right eye started violently twitching as he stared at Chiaki.

“They did... _WHAT?!_ ” He screamed as he started hyperventilating. “I knew it! She’s trying to steal Nolan! Oh, I swear on my _fucking life..._ ”

Chiaki held up a hand. "Hang on a moment, is that any way for a nice boy like you to behave?" She asked, her voice full of poison. She then knelt down, grabbing the gun off the floor and offering it back to him. "Nolan's your very good... friend. That's all. Isn't what makes him happy for the best? Besides..." She said, with her grin growing wider. "I'm sure Nolan will need a good _friend_ as a best man for their wedding day."

Kiyoshi’s whole body shook as he put his face right up to Chiaki’s, jabbing a finger at her. “NO! Nolan isn’t my friend! I LOVE HIM! I love Nolan so goddamn bad and I need him more than that bitch Liz could ever hope to understand! I need to set things straight right now!”

Before Chiaki could utter a word, the Voice Actor grabbed the gun and the box of ammo. As he stormed into the lift and smashed the Up button, the doors slid closed.

Chiaki stood, as her shoulders began to shake and soft laughter left her lips. She looked over to Shane and Arthur, flashing them a grin filled with rows of razor sharp teeth. 

"So predictable..." She said, winking at them. 

The two men nodded, tipping their hats at her, before she herself walked into the lift and ascended...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks to bellatrixshine and Parafin for RPing their OCs in this chapter. And thanks to Parafin, Birb and Storyproducer for being my beta team.

* * *

**Review Section:**

Abitat Eco: I’m so glad to see you review, Abitat. Hope you continue to do so!

Doomqwer: It’s funny how all these little things add up to great encounters.

Bellatrixshine: Glad to have you on board to make that suggestion a reality!


	16. Infiltration Part 2

**Chapter 15: Infiltration Part 2**

**2:00 PM Day Four**

**Platform Two**

**Leisure Room**

"Ha! Fucking owned you, bitch!" Tyler shouted, dropping his controller. For the past hour, he and Nolan had been playing some of the games available to them in the room and while Nolan had put up a good effort, the poor boy was, in polite terms, getting absolutely destroyed at them.

Nolan gave a half smile, gently setting his controller down. “So it seems. I’d like to think I at least did alright?” He offered, turning to Tyler.

Tyler shrugged. "I guess for a noob you ain't the worst I've seen, but you're still pretty shit." He pulled out a chug jug from the bag at his side, drinking some Gatorade. "When the fuck's Chiaki gonna get here? She should have been here ages ago! I can't tell you how long I've wanted to own her ass."

Nolan tried not to crack a laugh, barely managing to keep his composure. “She probably got caught up talking to someone and spaced out. You know how she is.” He explained, rubbing the back of his head. “I understand I may not be as skilled as her, but I wasn’t aware I was that boring to hang around...” He deflated with a sigh.

Tyler wiped his mouth. "I never said you were boring, just shit. I mean, I doubt Joan's any good at this shit but... well, I don't mind being with her. At least she's not going to fuck me over..." He said, some sadness evident in his voice.

“Ah, yeah...” Nolan frowned, hesitating before gently patting the younger boy on the shoulder. “You learned a hard life lesson. Choosing who to trust, especially in situations like this, is tough, and you have to be wise about it. Not everyone is who they first appear to be.” Nolan advised, an awkward look on his face. “Sorry, I’m not usually good about advising other people. I just try to help when I can.”

"Yeah, whatever." Tyler said dismissively. "What do you assholes know anyway? I don't need advice, not again, not after my fucking dad-!" He cut himself off, realising what he had said.

“Ah, you have issues with your father?” Nolan followed up quietly. 

While the blue eyed boy didn’t know much about Tyler, it wasn’t surprising to find out that his issues may have stemmed from a poor family life. 

After a moment of being left with silence, Nolan sighed as he continued. “Hey, it's alright. I get it, I didn’t really have the best life going on when I was around your age either.”

"What the fuck do you know!?" Tyler shouted, pointing at him as tears began to form in his eyes. "I bet you've never had a single real problem in your whole life! That's why you act like such a spineless faggot all the time! No wonder you spend all day with that chicken shit birdboy!"

Nolan simply stared blankly at the young boy for a long moment, before sighing. “Really? Is that so? So you don’t consider having almost everyone you’ve ever cared about killed a real problem?” He asked neutrally, not a single hint of emotion in his voice.

Tyler's face dropped, disbelief covering it. "What? A-are you fucking with me?"

“Nope. While I won’t go into the specifics too much...” The Ice Sculptor paused, choosing his next words carefully. “I’m from Canada, you see. More specifically, I’m an Inuit, or native, to be exact. Per the Canadian government’s laws at the time, our tribe had a plot of land up on the northern part of the country all to ourselves.” 

Nolan paused for a moment, biting his lip. “Unfortunately, our land was on top of a large oil deposit, and this greedy oil drilling company wanted to get their hands on it. However, since our tribe refused to move, and our land was protected by law, that company did the unthinkable: they hired a private military to quietly kill us.” He paused again, wiping a few leaking tears from his eyes. “Initially, me and my girlfriend, a girl named Rosalia, were the only survivors.” 

He finished quietly, clutching the locket he wore in his hand tightly.

"Rosalia?" Tyler asked, eyes softening. "What happened to her?"

Nolan grew silent for a moment, before sighing. “I don’t know. We got separated, and I’ve never been able to find her. This is the last memento I have of her.” He explained, gesturing to the locket.

Tyler looked at the locket, the metal glimmering yet tarnished. He looked down, wiping a tear away from his face. "I... I'm sorry that happened to you, man." He looked up. "Hang on, girlfriend? I thought you were gay! Considering you and Kiyoshi..."

Nolan’s eyes widened in surprise, the blue eyed boy clearing his throat. “Ah, well... It doesn’t really matter to me. I guess you could say I’m bi? I’ve never really cared nor thought too much about it... wait, what do you mean, me and Kiyoshi?” He stammered, his face going red in shock.

Tyler grinned cheekily. "Oh, come on! Everyone can tell you two are gay for each other. You two might as well have fucking hearts in your eyes every time you look at each other!"

“I... we do? I mean, it is true he’s the best friend I’ve had in a long time, and he’s a great guy...” Nolan trailed off, going deep into thought. “...I’ve never really looked for love, ever since Rosalia. Though on the other hand, it is also true that I have long accepted I’ll never see her again... maybe it’s time I move on. But, you really think he likes me?” Nolan asked softly.

"How the fuck should I know? I mean, if you want, go for it... though it would be awkward if she came back and saw footage of you sucking his dick or something!" Tyler said, before laughing loudly.

“As crude as that is... I think it would be fine. She’s the type of person who would have wanted me to move on...” Nolan said softly, a sad smile on his face.

"Sorry for being late, everyone." Chiaki suddenly said, appearing at the doorway. "I was busy taking care of Kiyoshi, but everything is sorted now." 

"Finally! Come on, grab a controller and sit down. I'm gonna kick your ass, just you wait." 

As Chiaki put her backpack down at the side of the room, Tyler looked at Nolan one last time. 

"I-in all seriousness, I hope you find her again someday. I guess the saying going around makes some sense; you can't lose hope now." He said, a small genuine smile on his face.

Nolan simply gave him an appreciative nod and a smile, before turning to Chiaki. “Tyler here has been teaching me a lot. Here’s to hoping I won’t slow you two down!” He joked, flexing his hands.

* * *

**3:00 PM Day Four**

**Platform One**

Janna stood at the railing of the platform, her face still wet with tears as she tried to recompose herself. Her breath uneven and rapid, the stress of the day made itself felt in a moment of silence.

“Calm down, calm down. You can’t let them worry about you…” She muttered to herself, trying to recompose herself, but so far failing.

What brought her out of her inner turmoil was when she suddenly heard the creaking of metal and churning of gears that seemed to grow in volume towards her.

She turned her head away from the sea and, to her shock, saw Bearington looking directly at her. She gasped in fear, backing away from the hulking monstrosity.

“W-what do you want?” She asked meekly, trying to wipe away the tears in her eyes.

The Bear looked at her intently, its cold eyes gazing into her soul. Its jaw opened with a struggle and stayed open for a few seconds, before closing.

Janna watched the sight nervously. While she couldn’t put her finger on it, the bear seemed oddly interested in her.

“A-are you trying to say something?” She asked, trying to figure out what was happening.

The bear opened and closed its jaws again. No noise came forth, but it didn’t seem to be from lack of trying. However, before the beast could do anything else, Janna suddenly heard a voice echo out from behind Bearington.

“Janna!” Gonta called out. “Gonta wonder where you go. Is big monster bothering you!?”

Running beside him was Anastasia, who had a hand on her knife’s hilt. “Back off, asshole! She hasn’t broken any rules, fuck off!”

Janna looked to Anastasia, and then back to the bear. The bear looked at her one last time, before turning away from her and walking off, resuming its patrol.

“Err… no, it wasn’t bothering me. It was probably just wondering what I was doing.” Janna replied with confusion in her voice.

Gonta smiled. “Good to hear! Gonta not let girl get bothered. Gentleman always make sure girls okay.”

“How sweet of you,” Anastasia said, before looking at Janna. “So, what were you doing? Just staring into space or something?”

Janna’s eyes widened briefly. “Oh, yeah! I was just getting some fresh sea air and I must have spaced out. Silly me!” She forced a smile.

Gonta nodded. “Good to hear! Anyway, Gonta glad to see you. Gonta and Anastasia were having good conversation and Janna come up in it, so it good coincidence.”

Janna looked at them with some confusion. “Really? What were you guys talking about?”

Anastasia flashed a toothy grin. “I thought it’d be fun to discuss who’s got the hots for each other. I mean, we are a bunch of horny teenagers, so sparks are bound to fly at some point!”

Janna immediately flushed red with embarrassment. “H-hots for each other!?” She squeaked.

Anastasia chuckled. “Aww, you are such a cutie when you’re embarrassed, ya know that?” She looked at Gonta. “Hey, big guy. Wanna tell her who I paired you up with?”

Gonta scratched the back of his head shyly. “It kind of embarrassing, but Anastasia think Gonta be good match for Henriette. Lady like her need Gentleman as her husband.”

“Yeah. Some might point to the height difference being an issue, but I have to disagree. I mean, she’s the perfect size to give his ‘little gentleman’ all the attention it could want.” The Mercenary joked slyly, nudging him in the side with her elbow.

“W-w-what!? G-Gonta not do anything like that!” Gonta said, covering his face with his hands, clearly flustered.

“Little gentleman?” Janna asked, tilting her head. “What’s that?”

“Well, in his case I’m sure it wouldn’t be _little_. I just don’t want to confuse the poor guy.” Anastasia explained with a shrug. “Anyway, Gonta thought up a match for you, Janna, and I have to say I think he may have hit the nail on the head.”

Gonta peeked his face out from behind his hands, looking between the two, and then quickly shifted back to his cheery persona.

“Oh yes, Gonta not know if he should say, but Gonta notice Janna seem to like boy on rig.”

Janna giggled. “Oh, really? Who is it then?” She asked cheekily.

“Well, Gonta can’t help but notice that Janna seem to get all flustered around Roman. Awkward looks, flustered reactions, it seem romantic to me.” He replied.

Immediately Janna’s cheerful demeanor disappeared. A hard look of disgust formed on her face, eyes almost glaring at him as she tried to restrain herself. 

“No. I have no feelings for him, Gonta. You’re mistaken.” She answered carefully, but firmly.

Gonta blinked and scratched his head. “Seems Gonta was wrong.”

“I don’t know, she does seem kind of defensive about it.” Anastasia said with a wink. “Is that right? Is Janna here a little tsundere for the Treasure Hunter? Did he steal your heart?”

Janna’s fists balled tightly as she took a deep breath.

“I didn’t ask to talk to you, so just leave me alone.” She said, before turning her back to Anastasia and walking off from the two.

Gonta held out a hand, about to speak, but stopped himself before turning to the Mercenary.

“Gonta think you upset Janna.” He said quietly.

“I don’t know what her problem is, I was only teasing her.” She replied with a shrug. She took a look at her field guide, taking note of the time. “Shit, I gotta start training. Gotta keep in shape on this hell hole. Ya wanna come?”

Gonta looked in the direction Janna had walked off in, then back to Anastasia. “Gonta catch up with you later. Gonta try and cheer Janna back up.”

“Suit yourself.” She said, cracking her neck. “Anyway, I’m gonna head off. Also… tell her I’m sorry if I upset her. I was only busting her balls.”

The Entomologist looked confused. “Bust balls? But girls not have balls.”

Anastasia chuckled. “It’s a figure of speech, dude! Anyway, see ya!”

With a flick of her hair Anastasia headed off, leaving Gonta behind. The Entomologist looked back over to the girl Janna and made his way over to her.

“What’s wrong, Janna? Something about Roman bother you?” He asked, standing behind the girl.

Janna looked back at Gonta, and sighed. “Sorry, Gonta. I’d rather not talk about him.”

She looked back over the edge of the platform, trying to calm herself. However, as she did this, she missed the boy’s lips twist into a menacing grin.

“He did something to you, didn’t he?” He said, voice soft yet deep. Janna immediately felt herself stiffen up.

“Did he not accept your love confession? Did he break up with you? I see… you want to get back with him, don’t you? Can’t say I blame you, he is a very handsome boy after all. Though maybe a little out of your league.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Janna turned and screamed. “That piece of shit can burn in hell for all I care!”

She threw a hand at him, attempting to strike him. However, her fury soon ended when she realised that her arm had been caught in Gonta’s massive hand. He looked down at her, his eyes missing that sparkling innocence from before.

Janna suddenly felt a tinge of fear strike her, mixed with guilt. “G-Gonta, I’m so sorry! What was I thinking-”

“You shouldn’t have done that, Janna. Things like that will get you hurt.” He said, eyes glinting smugly.

“Gonta… please don’t...” She said, her eyes widening with horror.

Gonta looked down at her now-trembling hand, and quickly let go. 

“Oh goodness! Gonta so sorry! Not mean to scare Janna!” He said, previous demeanour coming back to him.

Janna stood there, still shaken. “I-it’s okay. You didn’t mean it, I'm sure.”

Gonta adjusted his suit. “It okay, Janna. But Gonta offer some advice. If Roman do bad thing to you, then Roman no gentleman. And man like him should be punished for it.”

“...Punished…” Janna repeated, voice empty.

“Yes… or are you just going to stand there and let people walk all over you?” He questioned, eyes locked firmly on her.

A few moments passed, Janna absorbing what he had said, before Gonta returned to his smile.

“Anyway, good to see you not angry anymore. Gonta think he see bug on other platform. See you later!”

And as quickly as he had arrived, Gonta left the girl alone. And once again, she looked over the side of the platform and began to cry...

* * *

**4:00 PM Day Four**

**Platform One**

**Barracks**

Pietro Lombardi sat in his room in contemplative prayer. Holy rosary in his hand, he counted each bead as he recited the Lord’s Prayer in Latin, one he had done many times in the past. Suddenly, his silence was interrupted when he heard a knock on the door. Eyeing it with annoyance, he placed the Rosary down on his table and walked to the door, before opening it ajar. 

"Hello there, Cardinal." Nagito said with a large smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting you at a bad time, but I need to talk to you about something. It involves matters of faith, and I thought a Professional who shines as bright as you would be perfect to ask!"

Pietro raised an eyebrow at Nagito, but nodded after a moment and fully opened the door to let him in. "Very well. I would be more than happy to answer any questions pertaining to the Faith. How can I help, Nagito?"

Nagito laughed. "Oh, it's nothing really. Trash like me isn't worthy of anything important, but it's something I've always wondered." He started, walking into the room. "If God made us all in his image, then why is it some are blessed with talent and others without? Surely he wouldn't want most of his children to be worthless garbage, would he?" He crossed his arms, deep in thought.

Pietro studied Nagito for a moment, tilting his head slightly before he came up with a response. "Well, it ultimately comes down to possibly the greatest gift God gave to his creation: free will. It is what separates us from the animals of the earth, and makes us wholly unique as a species. God gave us the ability to think for ourselves, and make our own decisions. And from free will, Talent itself is derived." 

"I do not believe people are born Talented...but rather, they use their Free Will to pursue such goals. Everyone is born equal, for the most part, and have boundless opportunities before them. It is ultimately our own choice as to what we do with these opportunities and ambitions. Of course, I also believe that God would like us to follow certain paths...but again, it is our Free Will that lets us choose or reject that path as we see fit."

"I see... so anyone has the ability to gain their talent if they simply choose to pursue it of their own free will..." Nagito paused, before clapping his hands. "How beautiful! Your hope truly does shine bright! And it shows! You chose the path of God when you had once been a chef and you have pursued it perfectly... for the most part." He flashed him a sideways glance as he looked at his rosary.

Pietro shrugged for his part, not seeming upset at Nagito's little dig. "I once thought the path God wanted me to follow was that of a chef. However, after my first Killing Game, I…realized that was wrong. It was the priesthood that God wanted me to follow, and so I have. I have served the Church and the Pope faithfully since my change of heart."

"And that's amazing! But...I can't help but notice that in some areas you've been far more forgiving than others." Nagito paused, looking at the door for a moment. "I mean, some of us clearly don't fit into biblical dogma. Two of our number are half-bird creatures, the same kind of demonic creatures that tore apart the United Kingdom. Not to mention, it seems that some of our number have been having...unholy attractions towards members of the same sex. Something about it just doesn't rub me the right way, ya know?"

Pietro remained silent, his face twitching slightly at the other boy's observation. He leaned back against a wall, crossing his arms as he stared over at Nagito. "Perhaps. Issues such as those have been…weighing on my mind. I have tried to…look at the larger picture, however. Quackers and his band of despairful sinners have been my focus of ire for some time now…not to mention they're the main danger here."

"You are My battle-axe and weapons of war: For with you I will break the nation in pieces; With you I will destroy kingdoms," Nagito said, head down. He looked up, a serious expression on his face. "Jeremiah 51:20. I think you are the one spoken of in that verse. Remember, it is not just the obvious despair of Quackers that we need to worry about. It is the subtle evils we must also guard ourselves against, such as the weight of sins that caused God to smite Sodom and Gomorrah. I don't just say this for your benefit, I also fear it may corrupt other faithful members of your church. You must have noticed Sister Joan clearly seems to have an almost lustful love for pain. I fear the others may be a bad influence on her.

"...I shall keep that in mind," Pietro replied at length, his eyes narrowed. "Still, you've displayed more knowledge of the Faith than I thought you might. After all, the Church isn't very popular in Japan."

Nagito smiled thinly. "I believe in hope above all else. Hope is the light that will triumph over despair and remake the world anew. As such, I have looked into many different faiths that offer hope of salvation, including your holy bible. None of the others can offer that salvation, not the blood sucking Jews of Israel who try to corrupt our faiths and minds or the rampaging hordes of Islam that would take the Holy Land of Jerusalem and butcher good Christian souls like animals. The fact you retook that city and took righteous vengeance upon them is nothing short of heroic."

"...Hm, you are far more informed than I would have thought," Pietro remarked, shaking his head. "But nonetheless, you are right. Hm, perhaps you and I are kindred spirits, Nagito."

"Of course, Pietro. I have hope in you. I mean, you have been through a killing game once before and despite everything they tried to throw at you, you didn't break! You banded together with your friends and conquered despair! That's how I know you truly are the one I have looked for..." 

Suddenly his eyes grew cold as Pietro felt him stare into his soul. "Unless of course, you became a sinner in order to escape. But you wouldn't _dream_ of doing something like that, now would you?"

"Of course not!" Pietro barked out, anger lacing his tone as he shouted at him. His eye twitched in clear annoyance, and his hand clenched into a tight fist. "I will not make the sa-...make that mistake, I assure you. I have learned to be far better than someone who would crack under the pressure like that!"

Nagito looked at him for a moment, taking in his reaction, before he burst into laughter. "That's the spirit! Just remember, my talent isn't a choice. Luck blesses and curses me when it feels like it. But _you_... your talent comes from your actions. An inquisitor must be strong in the face of evil, in service to both the Pope and the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of the others may have fallen to the pit of atheism, but you haven't. You can still save them." 

He walked to the door and stood in the open doorway. "Keep your mind strong and your faith stronger. After all..." He looked back at him, eyes full of hopeful madness. "You wouldn't want to be a false prophet, would you!? AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!" 

And with that, he exited and closed the door, laughter still echoing down the hallway.

Pietro looked after Nagito for a moment, a vaguely disturbed look on his face. At the same time though, he couldn't help but contemplate his words...and wonder if he had a point.

* * *

**5:00 PM Day Four**

**Platform One**

**Radio Tower**

Loud rustling echoed throughout the room, interrupted only by the soft blips of the radar screens, as Cecelia rummaged through papers she had placed on one of the tables. “Come on… where is it? He can’t have gotten rid of everything useful, could he?” She muttered to herself, putting the papers back on the desk and sighing.

Joan quietly walked into the room and saw the Naval Commander, before thinking. _"Does she need something?"_

Cecelia looked up from the papers, almost jumping with surprise when she saw Joan just a small distance from her. "Joan!" She said, placing a hand on her chest. "Jesus, how do you do that!?"

"I apologize. I was curious about what you were doing." Joan replied in her usual flat tone.

Cecelia cleared her throat, before quickly recomposing herself. "Yes, of course. I was trying to see if our captor had left anything behind that would allow us to bypass whatever's blocking the radio here." She crossed her arms. "Something just doesn't seem right. This game is probably being broadcast, so why has no one attempted to come to our rescue? I know for a fact I would not just sit back and watch this take place if I were in their shoes."

"I may not have watched these killing games myself, but I know that people simply stood by and did nothing." The Nun closed her eyes. "Certain people have told me that..."

"Bullshit!" Cecelia shouted, swiping the papers off the desk. "We're just off the coast of Europe and yet we haven't seen even a single ship sail by. We're on a fucking oil rig, surely we're not that hard to fucking spot!" She said, turning away and looking out one of the windows in a huff.

Joan frowned at her small outburst, before walking towards her and then placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know this is hard to take in. I can hardly believe all of what I said myself." She told her, attempting to reassure her.

Cecelia stiffened for a moment at the contact, eyes averting awkwardly, but not protesting. "Y-yes, I understand, Sister. Sorry, it's not your fault." She paused. "You know, it's funny. I was raised a Catholic myself, but I haven't been to church in a very long time. You and Pietro have made me think the most of my faith in years."

"Oh, I see then." Joan replied, feeling her face heat up slightly.

"It's amazing that even through everything the world has been through, you two still refuse to let your faith waver. Meanwhile, I could never cope with the amount of dedication it requires. With its rules on how to live, how to worship, which feelings are sinful and which are righteous..." Cecelia continued, staring off into the seas.

"...Thank you." The albino girl said, shifting somewhat awkwardly. "Though I wish I could be as bold and confident as you are..."

Cecelia felt her face blush faintly, before she quickly brushed off Joan's arm and readjusted her collar. "But that's all in the past. We have to keep focus on what's ahead of us. Besides, we can't just stay up here by ourselves. Can't have any rumours start that I'm some sort of dyke. That wouldn't be very Catholic, would it?" She said, awkwardly trying to sound confident, but with a clear hint of discomfort in her voice.

Joan didn't realize it, but she had let out a small giggle, to which she widened her eyes slightly in surprise.

Cecelia looked back at her, and almost immediately felt her face turn red. She quickly faced away from the nun. "Anyway! It seems searching the area is a waste of time. I'll have to bring it up with Erick later, this would be his specialty. After dinner at 6, we will be having another meeting. Pietro and I will be bringing up the leadership question once more, so I hope you attend."

"Okay then..." Joan said quietly, still processing that she had just laughed for the very first time…

"Good. And Joan..." Cecelia said, looking over her shoulder. "Y-you should laugh more. It suits you."

The Nun couldn't help but nod shyly, as she quietly followed the Naval Commander.

* * *

**6:00 PM Day Four**

**Platform One**

**Mess Hall**

“Alright everyone, I hope you enjoyed this evening's meal but now we must get back to business.” Pietro’s voice called out through the mess hall. “First things first, did any of you find any new information about our current situation?”

He looked around the room, the various cadets either finished with or finishing their meals. There was an awkward silence, which was only broken when Erick raised his hand with a sigh.

“I suppose I will go first,” he said. “I led a search of the library earlier with a few of the others. However, despite our best efforts we found nothing about the killing game itself. We did however find two things of interest that I believe should be mentioned.”

“Really? Like what?” Cecelia asked.

“I found a magazine laying open for us to find! Master was so proud of me!” Toko shouted out, nuzzling into Erick’s side.

Cecelia and Pietro both shot Erick a funny look, as the Engineer growled through his teeth in annoyance.

“What she’s trying to say is that in the library, there was a magazine left open, seemingly for us to find. It contained an article that was a bit alarming.” Elizabeth cut in. “It detailed this new serial killer called the Skin Taker. Now it’s probably nothing, but we thought we should mention it.”

Sounds of muttering filled the room, as the various cadets reacted to the news, some more worried than others. Pietro raised a hand for silence.

“Did the magazine have any other details that would make you think this has anything to do with our current situation?” He asked.

Elizabeth shrugged. “No, not really. It was just an article in a month old magazine. But considering there have been serial killers in previous killing games, we can’t be too careful. For all we know, Quackers could be leaving us a hint.”

“Quackers did say something about espionage, didn’t he? What if this is what he was talking about?” Anastasia pondered.

Nolan shrinked in fear. “What? Y-You mean this Skin Taker might be the next motive?”

“Such a despairful tactic. Such a challenge would be a wonderful stepping stone for us to overcome!” Nagito said cheerfully.

“You don’t need to sound so happy about it, Nagito.” Chiaki said. “If that is the case, then we are in serious danger.”

The room began to devolve into panic as many of the cadets began to worry for their safety.

“Please, everyone calm down!” Cecelia said, trying in vain to diffuse the situation, but it was for naught as she was ignored. However, before the situation could escalate, a loud whistle suddenly sounded through the room, silencing everyone as they looked towards the source to find it had come from Tala, of all people.

“Guys, relax. The Skin Taker is not the next motive.” She said confidently.

There was a moment of silence.

“What makes you so certain of that?” Yujin asked.

“It's simple logic. If the Skin Taker is a part of our group, then they would have been with us from the beginning. They could strike at any time. That’s not how these motives work. Plus, for all we know, the Skin Taker might not even be a part of this game, so I’d say for now there’s no point in us worrying about it.” She responded, putting her arms behind her head.

“A very wise response, Tala. Thank you for calming the situation.” Dr Richards said with a grin. “Anyway, besides that there is also the matter of the second thing we found, a map of some sorts. However, we can’t currently show it as one of our group, Roman, ran off with it before we could properly examine it.”

Pietro raised an eyebrow. “He ran off with it? Why didn’t you report this strange behavior earlier?”

“Well, we’d intended to ask him about it during this meeting, but he hasn’t shown up.” Elizabeth said, before taking a quick look around the room. “Come to think of it, Kiyoshi isn’t here either. Anyone know where he is?”

Tala scratched her head. “Last I saw him, we were helping him with that gun Quackers forced him to take.” She turned to the Ultimate Gamer. “Hey, Chiaki. You were the last of us with him, did he say he was going anywhere?”

Chiaki tapped her chin. “No… he didn’t say he was going anywhere in particular. Last thing he said before he left with the rifle was that he needed to ‘set some things straight’.”

Nolan looked over in confusion. “Kiyoshi said that? You have any idea what he was talking about?”

Chiaki shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I have no idea. He didn’t say much more than that.”

Tala’s eyes filled with worry. “Man, I hope he’s okay. That gun really freaked him out, I hope he didn’t get into trouble.”

Yujin stood up from his seat. “No need to worry yourself, Tala. I’ll go and have a look for him.”

“A-are you sure about that? What if something happened?” Janna cautioned.

“I’m sure nothing is wrong. However, even if something has happened, it is still my duty to go find him. He agreed to train with me later, so it is my duty as a teacher to look after him.” The Monk said back.

Tala nodded. “Alright then. Thanks for sticking your neck out like this. The guy could do with all the friends he can get.”

Yujin smiled, before silently leaving the building.

“Now that that situation is being sorted with, if no one else has anything important to mention, then I will bring up the next topic of discussion. That being of a leader for this group.” Pietro said, looking at all of the cadets remaining.

“This again!? Are you two still trying to boss us around!?” Tyler responded.

“Tyler, shouting out is not like true gentleman.” Gonta said to the boy.

Cecelia shook her head. “We are not trying to boss anyone around, we are just looking at the current situation realistically. Two of our number are already dead and the Mastermind seems to have some kind of agenda related to an attack on the mainland. Not to mention the nuclear materials we saw come from… my ship the other day. As such, we believe the only way we will be able to effectively fight back against our captors is to get organised, and to be quite blunt, Pietro and I have the most experience in that field.”

“I see how it is. Get everyone to follow you and point them away from yourselves. How Machiavellian.” Wolfgang suddenly spoke, fixing the Naval Commander with a glare.

Cecelia scowled. “Wolfgang, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your mouth shut.”

Henriette raised a hand. “Sorry to interrupt, but I have to agree that Wolfgang has a point. If the motive is indeed something to do with infiltration, then we need to be cautious about who we give power. While we may not be dealing with this ‘Skin Taker’, we can’t rule out the possibility of a traitor in our ranks.”

“How dare you! Are you accusing us of working with the enemy!?” Pietro shouted with outrage.

Henriette flinched back. “No, not at all! I’m just saying not everyone may be as they first seem.”

“I completely agree with you.” Dr Richards suddenly said, getting out from his chair. “And while I hate to cut this truly intellectual discussion short, I regret to inform everyone that I do indeed have to raise something important that must be immediately addressed.”

Janna tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

Dr Richards took out his torch, cleaning the lense with his labcoat. “First, I’d like to ask everyone a simple question. When we first awoke in this killing game, how many of us were there?”

There was an awkward silence, with most of the room confused as to why the question was being asked.

“Err… there were 22 of us, right? And after Katsumi and Latia died there were 20.” Anastasia said.

“Pardon Gonta, but Gonta wonder why Doctor ask that?” Gonta said.

“...Interesting. Well, let me treat you to a little story. After I helped with Erick’s book hunt, I decided to head back to my room for a brief rest, to refresh the mind and relax. You know, the typical stuff… when I came across a very peculiar sight.”

“Would you _please_ get to the point?” Pietro asked impatiently.

“The point being the rooms themselves.” Dr Richards said.

“What are you blathering on about!? What the fuck was wrong with the rooms? The fact that they're complete shitholes?” Wolfgang said. 

“No, the fact that there are 18 of them.” The Doctor said flatly.

The room was silent.

“18 rooms…” Tala echoed.

“Yes. Now why would a killing game for 22 people only provide 18 rooms?” Dr Richards asked.

...

“Something doesn’t add up about the number of people we have here. Haven’t any of you noticed anything strange?”

The silence continued, until Elizabeth took a deep breath and raised her hand. “...Now that I think about it, something is off. Remember the trial room? Weren't there only 18 podiums last time we went?”

“Yes, there were. Now that you point it out, that doesn’t seem to make sense.” Joan added.

Toko stood up, pointing at the scientist. “W-what are you trying to pull!? Are you saying four people just appeared out of t-thin air!? That’s ridiculous!”

“I wouldn’t say out of thin air, _Toko_.” Dr Richards said, gripping the torch tightly. “In fact, my suspicions were first raised the moment I observed you at the firing range.”

Toko shook her head in disbelief. “W-what do you mean ‘observing’ me? Have you been checking me out, you pervert!?”

Dr Richards fixed a glare on her for a while as they stood off. It was finally broken off as he spun the torch in his hands and looked at the others.

“Apologies in advance, everyone. Whether my theory is right or not, chances are this will get quite messy.” He said calmly.

“W-what the hell are you talking ab-” Toko tried to say, but was interrupted as Richards suddenly pointed the torch at the girl’s head and switched it on. Instantly Toko’s head disappeared from her body, her headless body flailing around madly before it fell to the ground.

“WHAT THE FUCK!?” Tala’s cry echoed, followed quickly by the many horrified reactions of the other observing cadets.

“Jesus fuck, you killed her!” Tyler shouted.

Cecelia and Pietro reached for their guns, but before they could even grab them, Erick sprung into action. Getting behind Richards in a flash, he placed the scientist into an armlock, disarmed him and slammed him face down into the table.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened in shock. “E-Erick!? How on Earth did you do that!?”

“...Self-defence classes really come in handy in times like this.” Erick responded, twisting the man’s arm.

Dr Richards grunted in pain, before rolling his eyes. “Will you all stop being so dramatic? She’s not dead, just look at her.”

Erick narrowed his eyes at the doctor, before looking where Toko’s body had fallen. To his surprise Toko was indeed alive, head firmly attached. However, the bigger shock was that her appearance had drastically changed. Her school outfit seemed half-formed and fused to her skin, and her hair was patchy and thin. She began to heave and vomit onto the floor, green ooze staining the area around her. After spitting out the last of it, a low growl began to emanate from her mouth.

“Toko? What the fuck?” Erick muttered.

“What’s wrong, Erick...” Toko said, her voice now deep and guttural. She turned to face him, her face now an unrecognizable mess of scales, pale skin and a mouth filled with shark-like teeth. “Come on, give me some love!”

The beast that had once looked like Toko suddenly spat its tongue directly at the boy. Erick could only watch in horror as the serpentine-like appendage wrapped around his neck and began to choke him out, forcing him to let go of the Doctor, who dived towards his torch on the ground.

“Open fire!” Pietro cried as he pulled out his gun and began to shoot at the monster. He was quickly followed by Cecelia. While their first few shots missed due to trying to avoid hitting Erick, one managed to hit the creature in the shoulder. It screamed in pain and let the boy go, before turning away and leaping from table to table, eventually disappearing out of the room.

The room was in total chaos. Cadets screamed and panicked, with no one knowing what to do. The chaos was only stopped when the speaker flared to life and an oh-so-familiar voice rang out across the oil rig.

**_“Seems only a few of you have been truly paying attention, you lot took longer to figure out what was going on than I would have liked. But I digress, now your assignment will truly begin. Yes, it is indeed as the Doctor says. Among your number, there are four spies. You have discovered one of them, but three still remain unfound. I am now giving the spies full authority to harm you all in any ways they see fit, up to and including murder. If you wish to avoid whatever grisly fates they have in store for you, you had better listen to what I have to say._ **

**_If you manage to kill all four spies among you, then the assignment will end and you will all be given access to the next platform without a trial. However, if you find that too difficult and don’t fancy being their toys for the foreseeable future, there is another way to remove their threat. Kill one of your own and the spies will be called off immediately._ **

**_Think carefully about your next actions, as any of you could be a threat. Act smartly and you all may live. Act poorly and you will all die. Good luck!”_ **

And with that, Quackers’ voice went silent once more.

As the news of their assignment set in, one thing became abundantly clear. This night would be one that none of them would ever forget.

* * *

 **Authors note:** Special thanks to Magus1108, Storyproducer214 and JCW18 for role playing their OCs in this chapter and a thanks to my Betas Parafin, Storyproducer214 and Birb.

* * *

**Review Section:**

Bellatrixshine: Hope to have you RP again! Also yes, chaos is certainly about to reign.

Doomqwer: I hope you enjoy were this ends up going!

Trygve11: You keep guessing away, my man.


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